Behind the Mask
by Tjjk
Summary: This is the story of a young Fire Nation soldier who gets caught up in the affairs of Aang and his friends. After he meets Katara, his life takes a surprising turn and he has to make a life changing decision. Starts out slow but gets better. Discontinued.
1. Fire and Water

**A Quick Note from the Author**: This is my first multi-chaptered fan fiction. Basically, it tells the story of a young Fire Nation soldier who meets up with Aang and the gang. I wanted to tell a story from the point of view of someone from the Fire Nation and I wanted to send the message that not all Firebenders are evil. I've tried to make this convincing in how the mind of a Firebender works but I'll let you guys be the judge of how well I did that. This story is mostly action/adventure but I'll tell you now, the ships are Kataang and Tokka. I just don't see enough of those out there. However, I encourage any and all readers to enjoy this fan fiction, even the Zutara shippers because the romance is just a side topic, not chapters of fluffy garbage (which I dislike in any ship). With that said, enjoy the story! - TJJK

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or anything related to it.

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The sun beat down on my back as I stood perfectly still and straight-backed on the early summer afternoon. It was outrageously hot out and it had been all week. Even the plants were starting to suffer – all that remained of a clump of bushes was a mass of thorny, tangled branches surrounded by clumps of vicious weeds that were usually deadly to them but now posed no threat to the collapsing brush. A small forest in the east provided decent shade for all the creatures that lived there but was really no help to me, much to my dismay. Only a few thin trees grew along the small creek behind me in the parched meadow, dying and fragile, and I tried to shelter myself from the heat by standing beneath them but they provided very little shelter from the sun's grasping rays.

A few sparrowkeets sang tauntingly from the shelter of their nests high atop the towering beech trees, their brilliantly green chest feathers gleaming impressively in the late afternoon glow. I wanted to strangle those birds; I really did if they didn't shut up. Why should they be having the time of their lives while I was completely and utterly miserable?

When I caught myself thinking that, I mentally scolded myself. Those birds hadn't done anything to hurt anybody. It was their instinct to sing, something they were born to do. But what good would their annoying melodies do to a war-torn world? Nothing much, I had to admit. Still, the thought of somebody killing the birds and burning down their homes was too horrible to imagine. Yet it happened each and every day but on a much higher scale.

Because every day, I knew for a fact, Fire Nation soldiers set fire to villages of innocent civilians, burning and killing hundreds of Earth Kingdom citizens in one simple maneuver. I only knew this because I had witnessed the events with my own eyes on countless occasions. Most of the time, I hid behind the trees that were still standing, trying not to get involved. I wasn't always that fortunate.

The sparrowkeet nearest me gave a particularly loud twitter and I felt my body tense. _Stupid bird_, I thought irritably, trying to ignore the pest's continuing cries of clueless joy. _It won't last much longer, somebody's going to kill that thing._ But even as the thought passed through my head, I felt assured that the bird would live. There was nobody near me and nobody was coming. Not now and not ever. And it was all because of me.

Which brought me to wonder, why did _I_ have to be here? Why was _I_ always targeted by the general? If I could be anywhere else in the world but here… Even back at home would be better than this. Back with my father. Or maybe that was just the heat getting to me. I knew I'd regret thinking that later.

But just standing still all day was torture. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I suddenly dropped dead from a stroke or something. It would be better than standing here. _No!_ I thought quickly, feeling slightly sick and dizzy. _I shouldn't think like that… What's the matter with me?_

The fact was _I_ didn't even know what was wrong with me. Neither, apparently, did my father. Or General Zhong. Because I had never been close to either of the two men. But did that mean I wasn't close with myself? Did it mean I was insecure? _Well, my lack of friends has certainly had an impact on my life_, I thought bitterly. But it was true. I had never really had any friends, other than those I was now forbidden to see and the ones had who died in the war. Why couldn't I just do what I wanted with my life? Instead being a stupid soldier, I could be doing better things. Pffft! Yeah. Right.

To accompany the sparrowkeets' so-called peaceful song, the sound of gently flowing water was also taking a toll on my temper. Why did it have to be so hot out and _why_ did the water have to be so cool and refreshing? If there wasn't a creek near me at all, I'd have no problem staying focused (_okay, another lie_, I corrected myself mentally with a small scowl). But the sound of water was so alluring… Like it was calling to me. Like the water wanted me to do something. Like something might actually happen…

I shook my head slightly to rid it of such tempting thoughts. I had a job to do. Being a soldier meant defending your nation and that's what I was going to do. I couldn't help but smile a little. I was protecting my nation by standing near a river. Yeah, pathetic. Thanks_ General Zhong, for giving me a stupid, pointless job_, I thought viciously, glaring inwardly as a picture of the general popped in my head. _I'll have to remember to thank you later for torturing me._

I was so distracted mentally abusing General Zhong (which was a wonderfully soothing hobby that I'd come to adopt) that I didn't even notice the two Earthbenders. Crouching behind the spiky bush remains, two boys, one who looked to be around eight, the other twelve, crept closer and closer to where I was standing, smiling broadly. If I had been watching, I would have been able to defend myself.

_WHAM!_ The first boulder hit me straight in the chest and I was knocked completely off my feet, landing in a painful heap in the dust. Even my armor wasn't strong enough to withstand the close-ranged attack. A searing pain tore at my side and I squeezed my eyes shut in pain, feeling winded. As I struggled to get back up, something cool and wet dripped down from my side on to my thigh and slid smoothly down my pant leg and on to my bare ankle. Had I not been under attack, I would have taken my armor off to see what it was but standing up, I was met with a hailstorm of rocks. I winced and cowered as clumps of rough stone and flint pounded against me. I managed to regain my balance only to meet a rather large and unpleasant boulder right in its path to strike me. A blinding pain that felt like my sides were splitting opened erupted inside my ribcage as the rock collided hard with the left side of my body. Somewhere, I could've sworn I'd heard something snap but there was no time to investigate.

Laughing and slapping each other high-fives, the young Earthbenders started to quickly retreat back into the sun-scorched plant remains but I was one step ahead of them. Before they had managed to crawl back through the brush, I sent a nasty wave of fire at them, causing them to yelp in fear and struggle even harder through the branches, the thorns ripping and clawing at their tanned skin. I heard them scuffling off even after their backs disappeared into the forest and saw with some satisfaction that the dried bushes had caught fire. I hadn't intended to actually hurt them; just scare them. _And it worked_, I thought with a small smile as I stomped the baby fire out with my boot and returned to my post.

Because I was _so sick_ of being attacked for no reason at all. Maybe a little fear would keep them away. Every day, I would be peacefully doing my job when a group of Earthbenders or just a few kids, even, would ambush me and throw rocks at me or hurl prickle-snakes down at my feet and then even my armor couldn't protect me because prickle-snakes are _sharp_.

They were about a foot thick and up to six feet long, covered with two-inch long, poisonous spines. They had venom-green eyes and sharp fangs that could penetrate even solid metal in an instant. They were quite fond of wrapping around my ankles and squeezing their spines right through my thick, plated armor, piercing my skin. I rarely got poisoned by them but even so, those things were painful. Once they have their little quills in you, it will ache for _hours_ after.

This area in general was filled with prickle-snakes. What a coincidence of General Zhong to station me here. To guard a river. But honestly, what _idiot_ wanted a river guarded? Zhong acted like you could go panning for gold in it or catch the world's biggest elephant koi, or something, though in reality, it wasn't even a river. It was just a creek. Zhong only wanted me here to make me suffer in the heat. I knew perfectly well that he was relaxing in his nice, little tent with a cool drink, laughing his head off at the thought of me melting in the heat. Which was basically what I was doing.

But he had a reason for everything. He wanted me to "guard" the river in case any rebels decided to lead an invasion from it. Yeah, very likely, considering the fact that _nobody_ came down here. Well, nobody except sometimes the brave Earthbenders who came to harass the soldiers like the two earlier. Just in one week, I had received eleven huge bruises from the attacks, not counting the one today, and two jagged cuts in the ankle from where a particularly vicious prickle-snake had carved its two fangs into my skin. I'd probably return to the tent tonight to find two more bruises and cuts, and maybe even a fractured rib or something judging from the sound of the crack I'd heard.

I constantly complained to General Zhong about the assaults. Now that the Fire Nation had conquered Ba Sing Se and felled the Earth Kingdom, why did I have to be here? But the general would only smile and say, "Don't be a coward, soldier! This is war! Now drop and give me fifty!" Why, yes _sir_! I'll give you fifty! _Fifty fireballs in the face, maybe_, I thought angrily to myself.

I was only trying to do the job I despised. Was it really too much to ask to be left alone while I worked? Okay, so there were probably Fire Nation soldiers out there who harassed the Earthbenders. But that wasn't me! I was just an innocent soldier trying to protect my nation. I didn't deserve to be attacked on a daily.

But what did the Earthbenders care? To them, I was just another soldier. Another tall, intimidating figure clad in Fire Nation armor. I was faceless with no identity. Just another ruthless killer. Just another Firebender. Just another target. Just a robot behind a mask. To them, I had no feelings or emotions. To them, my objective was to kill and kill often. And to them, I was the thing that killed their brother or aunt or mother.

I felt slightly dizzy in the hot sun, thinking about my mother. It was weird. I'd never really met her before she died, yet it felt like we'd been together forever. I didn't even know what she looked like in person. I'd seen a lot of pictures of her, but I was too young to remember her when she died.

She always kept her hair short and simple, that's one thing I knew. She didn't braid it, nor did she put it up. It just hung about her face and shoulders. But she was beautiful. That's why I never grew my hair out. My father tried to force me on several occasions to grow it out in a ponytail like the other Firebenders but I kept it short and neat, just like my mom. I don't know why, but it made me feel like she was still a part of me. My hair now was pretty long and messy, though. I could feel it creeping down the back of my neck and my bangs had almost reached my eyes. I would have to steal somebody's knife and cut it soon because General Zhong certainly wouldn't let me cut it. He too thought a ponytail was more practical. I snorted. Ponytails were for _girls_.

I guess I felt so close to my mom because my father was a failure of a parent. Because when I had been born, my mother had been fighting a deadly disease. She knew she wasn't going to live. The doctor told her I wouldn't live either and she spent many sleepless nights weeping. But I lived. I only had a small case of her disease, but I battled it with her strength. It's like I had the will to live. Which was strange since my mother died a few days after and I was left to my father to be brought up.

Now that I think back, I'm surprised the doctor even let my father take me. He's the most horrible man I've ever known and to think the doctor would have realized that. But he didn't and I spent ten miserable years living with him. He never let me go outside unless it was for something important. And to him, socializing with my friends wasn't a good enough reason. So I was forced to spend every minute of my life inside, catering to _his_ needs and wants. And mostly his wants.

When I was eight, I realized I should be able to do whatever I wanted. So I started sneaking out to meet up with my friends from school. We'd always have a great time and that's how I spent the best moments of my life. Then my father found out and yelled at me until he was blue in the face. He was so mad he locked me in my room for three days straight and practically starved me. He told me if anything like this ever happened again, he'd send me to some military school.

But that didn't stop me. When I was ten, he caught me playing with weapons from a nearby deserted battlefield. He stayed true to his word and sent me to a military camp. It was the worst experience of my life. I didn't seem my father for two years there, which really was a plus.

But he did come back. When I was twelve, he came to the camp and talked with the coordinators. I don't know what he told them, but a few days later, I was drafted into the Fire Nation army and now here I am, two years later. I remember begging the trainers not to make me go, crying and saying I didn't want to die. But they forced me into the army and I haven't seen my father since.

He's still alive. I sometimes get letters from him. Not the comforting letters you get from home, though. Letters saying I better not mess anything up or I'd 'get it'. But I've always disregarded these and burned them on-hand without replying. I'm free of him now, I can do what I want. Now I just have General Zhong to worry about.

Thinking of the general caused shivers to run down my back and I quickly pulled away from my thoughts. From the position of the sun, I could tell it was still mid afternoon. I sighed. My shift didn't end until nightfall. _That's another thing_, I thought, gritting my teeth, _long hours for little pay_. I only got enough money to take care of myself and sometimes even less. I hated my life.

I gazed vaguely at the vegetation that crawled around the entrance to the Eastern Forest. How I wanted to curl up in the shade without my armor and just _sleep_. Take a long nap, maybe wake up in a different place… A better life. I continued to stare intently at the plant life, the sounds of my surroundings melting together into a sweet melody of creek water and sparrowkeet songs.

I would've enjoyed the sound if that scream weren't so loud. Why did people have to scream so loudly? It was penetrating my barrier of sound. Wait a second – that _scream_? I jerked awkwardly out of my daydreams and peered cautiously around. _Had_ I just heard a cream or had I only imagined it? Was my need for adventure getting the better of me and causing me to hear things?

I scanned the desolate meadow carefully, as carefully as I could with my mask on. That thing was _hard_ to see through and it was extremely aggravating when I didn't have a full range of vision. There was nobody else there, however. Somewhere in my chest, I felt my heart drop just a tiny bit. For once, I thought something interesting might actually happen. _Brilliant, Kairo_, I thought to myself, _now you're hearing things._

Suddenly, I heard another shrill scream and this time, I was positive I was actually hearing it. It was coming from the forest and by the sounds of it, there was a fight going on. There was more screaming, a girl, definitely, and then there was grunting. A few shouts of pain rose over the parched treetops. Instinctively, I started towards the commotion but stopped myself abruptly. What General Zhong would say if he saw me leaving my post? Then I realized I didn't care what he did to me. It was my life and no matter how horrible it was, I was going to live it.

I trotted along the creek until I hit the forest boundaries. The fight was just up ahead from the sound of it. Silently, I slipped along the coast of the river, dodging trees and hanging vines until I reached quite a large clearing. Crouching behind chain of straggly bushes, I watched the scene.

Amongst the thick-growing firs and various conifers, three Fire Nation soldiers stood in a semi-circle, leering at a girl with a long, brown braid down her back, flames burning in their clenched fists. Quite obviously, she had been the one screaming. They must have ambushed her.

One of the soldiers, the tallest of the three, punched a flame at the girl but she quickly retaliated, making a flowing motion with her hand and sending a tsunami of dull, clear water that washed out all three of them. _She's a Waterbender_, I thought excitedly, leaning in a little closer. I'd never seen a Waterbender before; my great-grandfather told me that since the war started, they'd hidden at their villages, rarely journeying to the Earth Kingdom because of the danger. I felt a slight surge of pride at remembering this scrap of information.

The Firebenders all jumped to their feet but the girl was relentless. She crashed another wave down of them, knocking two of them to the ground again where they lay groaning. However, the broader soldier managed to slip away just before the wave hit and snuck up behind the girl. With a brutish war-cry, he leapt into the air and kicked viciously at the Waterbender. A smoldering fireball collided full-force into her back and she fell to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled to maintain consciousness.

I recognized the broad Firebender at once as Rorin, one of the soldiers back at camp who was particularly fond of insulting me, mostly because I was younger than him. Even so, he was only about twenty-one. _That sicko_, I thought angrily, glaring at the man. _What's he doing harassing that girl?_

"Now, you can come with me and live or we'll just kill you now," he was saying to the girl, rolling his gold eyes under his helmet while his two cronies snickered. "We could use a little girl like you to heal us after battle." The girl was huddled on the ground, rubbing her burned, but not ruined, back with one hand while trying to hide her tears with the other. _She must be a doctor_, I thought instinctively. This part of the Earth Kingdom lacked doctors and wounded soldiers often had to wait out their ailment or else clumsily repair it themselves. Rorin had recently cut his arm throwing rocks at Earth Kingdom citizens (who just happened to be Earthbenders, what do you know) and had been complaining ever since.

I wondered if I should jump out and assist them but something about it didn't seem right. First of all, I hated Rorin and wouldn't help him if my life depended on it. But that wasn't what was stopping me since I wouldn't mind having a doctor around. _'You can come with me and live or we'll just kill you now.' _She wasn't Fire Nation and from what my great-grandfather had told me, she was far from home. And she only looked around fourteen. Forcing a fourteen-year old Water Tribe girl into becoming a Fire Nation doctor wasn't right. It was like someone trying to force _me_ into fighting against my nation. It was just… wrong.

From the way the girl was shaking her head told me she was stubborn. She wouldn't turn on her nation… and neither would I. But the Firebenders just laughed at her. Was it really that funny? I'd never enjoyed pain, especially seeing other people in it. She was Water Tribe but she was still human. As violent as the other nations were, I knew I couldn't just leave her to be killed. Not on my conscious. I couldn't handle watching a girl be burned to death just for trying to protect her people while I passively sat behind a bush. I had to do something.

The Waterbender was on her feet again, wincing as she stumbled over to the creek. The soldiers roared with laughter and started to close in on her, cutting her off from the stream. Thinking quickly, the girl opened a pouch at her side and brought forth a long, silver whip. With a rapid slashing motion, she cut Rorin around the neck. Most of the water was deflected off his armor but he still stumbled slightly, cursing and punching a handful of fire at the girl. She recoiled again and I knew my time was running out. I had to act _now_.

I started to run. I started running as fast as I could away from the scene. My head ached from the heat but I kept on running, not looking back. But I didn't run to my post. I headed right through the forest.

The trees were dense and roots grew profusely along the pine needle-coated earth. I knew the way from here; I had traveled back and forth through the forest so many times I knew it like the back of my hand. First right turn… Then straight… I trampled through the low branches like a Komodo Rhino that had just been struck in the rear with a fiery whip, plowing through the blockage of gnarled stumps and wiry branches easily in my armor. The Earth Kingdom town of Masse was just up ahead. A plan had already wedged itself into my already distracted mind. _What a day_, I thought with a small smile.

A thick strand of light poked its way into the thicket of brambles to the right and I tore through it, tripping a few times but catching myself before I fell. My armor would need to be polished after this but I didn't care, as long as I could save the girl. I didn't even know what it mattered to me so much. She was just some Water Tribe girl who was being too stubborn for her own good. But for some reason, Rorin's words came back to me again and again. He would actually _kill_ her if she didn't obey. That's just sick, even for someone like him. It was something primitive that the Earth Kingdom might do.

Unnoticed by any of the civilians and even better, soldiers, I leapt out of the woods and skirted the town's main gate where the Fire Navy supply tents were kept. _I'm sabotaging my own people_, I thought sardonically, but I overcame my hesitation as I stealthily approached one of the tents.

It was a pretty big tent, packed to the ceiling with food, weapons, and clothing. I had never been inside this particular tent but it was an easy assumption; you've been in one tent, you've been in them all. It was several feet taller than myself, blood-red in color with an angry-looking Fire Nation insignia inked across the door flaps which were trimmed with gold. A strong, metal lock bolted the tent shut from intruders and could only be opened by the key General Zhong kept on his trusty key ring, which coincidentally never left his side. But I didn't need to go inside it so the fact didn't really matter.

_Shame, it's a big tent,_ I mused to myself, knowing that I was about to destroy a huge amount of Fire Nation supplies. Crawling over to the tent on my stomach, I glanced around one final time to make sure I was completely alone. I was. Taking a deep breath, I sparked a wisp of fire from my fingertips and set the bottom of the tent pole on fire, letting nature do the rest. Within seconds, the whole tent was ablaze.

Thick strands of stinging, gray smoke rose high into the sky like prickle-snakes slipping away from a predator, a conspicuous signal of trouble for miles around. Somebody would notice the smoke soon enough and I wasn't going to stick around until they did. Quickly and quietly, I slipped back into the forest

On the way back through the woods, I heard the Firebenders from before trundling clumsily through the woods, yelling and jeering about an unfinished job. I quickly concealed myself behind a rock as they darted past, too much in a hurry to take notice of much. With a quiet laugh, I jumped up and continued to sprint back to the clearing.

The girl was still there, sitting exhaustedly by the creek. I squinted through the brush to get a better look at what she was doing. She had her hands over her leg, which was bleeding excessively from a serious-looking burn. But for some reason, her hands had turned pale. No, scratch that, they were completely silver. As shocked as I was to see a girl with silver hands, I kept quiet and watched the scene from my hiding spot. Her hands were also glowing as she moved them back and forth over her wound. Suddenly, I realized what she was doing; she was healing herself! So _that's_ what the soldiers wanted her for – to heal them with water!

Sure enough, she stood up moments later with nothing but a small scratch carved into her flesh. _Amazing!_ I thought ecstatically. _If only the Fire Nation had healers like that!_ The Water Tribe girl, though still weak, had done a marvelous job healing her leg. Perhaps I had underestimated her. Maybe she wasn't so helpless after all. Still, three on one wasn't fair.

I guess what happened next was all because of me. I shouldn't have come back to check on her. I should have just left. I shouldn't have made so much noise. Because it happened so fast, so speedy, just like a Waterbender, that I didn't know what happened until several seconds later. One second, I'm watching the incredible healer, the next, I'm lying flat on my back in the clearing, face-to-face with a very angry-looking pair of ocean-blue eyes…

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Just to clear things up (as this chapter was told in the first-person), the soldier's name is Kairo, which is basically pronounced as "Iroh" with a "k" in front of it. He mentioned it once to himself but I'm not sure everyone picked up on it.


	2. Dark Tactics

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar; the Last Airbender" or anything related to it.

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Katara's heart dropped several notches and she felt like she had missed a step going down the stairs. Missed a few steps, at that. There were more. And how many would there be after this? She was already weak and tired. Her leg still ached a little even after she had clumsily healed it and her burned back was throbbing. She wouldn't be able to heal that; not very well, at least. She just wanted to get back to camp, to see Aang again. To see her brother again, and Toph, the Earthbender she'd come to love like a sister. A cold dread settled in the Waterbender's heart. Would she make it back alive?

Before her, lying sprawled in a rather uncomfortable position, was your typical Fire Nation peon, wearing the usual dragon-like armor that had intimidated her since the day her mother died. The thought of her mother brought quick tears to the Waterbender's eyes. Her mother had died honorably if not quite gruesomely. She had been brave and strong, just like she had always told Katara to be. Katara remembered the scene clearly in her mind's eye although she forbade herself from recounting the entire event. Those censored scenes only showed up in her worst nightmares…

The fleet had just arrived. Katara was cooking with her mom, making a batch of boiled seaweed for their supper. As an eight-year old, Katara loved boiled seaweed. The tangy strips of salty sea grass coupled with various salts and spices served with the fat, arctic fish that Sokka was responsible for bringing had been Katara's favorite meal and she just loved to help her mother with it. Little did she know, that would be the last time.

That's when the ships came. Thick, black smoke hung heavily over the air, filling Katara's nose and mouth and causing her to choke, screaming, "Mother! What's going on?!" Smoke filled their little tent, mingling horribly with the fresh smell of drying seaweed, creating a foul smell that still haunted Katara to this very day. It wasn't good smoke, either, not the kind that comes from the pot when a tasty meal is cooking, nor the kind around a gentle fire at night. It was smoke mixed with coal, the most vile substance in the world.

Her mother had not responded. She gazed out the tent flap, her normally kind blue eyes hardening like ice. Brushing her silky, brown braid behind her back, she had instructed for Katara to find Sokka and run. Her father, Katara realized, would have gone with the other men to face the invasion. Because the ships were appearing on the horizon, now. Black snowflakes fell roughly from the sky, dyeing the frosty ground black and murky. Katara had never been more frightened. People were yelling and screaming and the men grabbed their spears and war clubs. So much chaos. It was frightening to the young, soon-to-be Waterbender.

"I'll be okay, Katara, darling," her mother had continued, turning to her daughter with her eyes looking like delicate sheets of ice waiting to be stomped on or shattered. "Find your brother and go. Go as far away as you can!"

"Mother, no!" Katara cried, tears clinging to her eyelashes as they dripped from her eyes and froze to her face. "I'm scared! Please, don't go! Not you! Not you and Father!"

"Katara…" her mother turned to face her daughter, her own tears splashing down her face as she hugged her child. "Katara, just go find Sokka. Find him and hide. I love you, darling, I love you and Sokka." She kissed Katara's cheek, but the young Water Tribe girl didn't know what was wetter; her mother's lips or cheeks.

But she had obeyed. Luckily, Sokka had just struggled over to their tent, laden down with an enormous and tasty-looking fish, which he promptly dropped when he saw his mother. Tears formed in his eyes as he hugged her too.

"Sokka, take Katara and go!" their mother had said finally, unable to contain her grief. "Go far away! I'll be okay! And if anything should happen…" At this point, her voice faltered and cracked but she strained to keep going. "Just remember that I love you."

The warmth left Katara's body as she got up. And then she was gone. A lone figure in the black mists of death, knowing silently to herself that she would not return from the fight alive. Sokka had kept his promise to his mother and, grabbing Katara's small, gloved hand, had run as far away from the village as possible, taking refuge on a barren arctic plain that even the Firebenders couldn't have survived on. Holding Katara close to him, he silently wept as Katara, her voice muffled by her brother's heavy winter coat, cried sorrowfully into the night.

When dawn broke over the horizon, a small, watery, red sun, the two Water Tribe siblings made their way back to their village. But it did not exist anymore. All that was left was a destroyed ruin of the life the two had once shared only hours ago. And a lone figure stood in the sun's baby rays. Excited to see their mother okay, the two rushed over, crying and waving their arms. But it was not their mother who met them. It was their father. And in his arms was the woman Katara had made boiled seaweed with just the other night. Hakoda looked up, his face stained with tears and sweat. And the twosome knew, without being told. Katara never ate boiled seaweed again.

The memory was still too painful and frightening for Katara to share it with anybody else. Only she and Sokka had ever talked about it and they had done so rarely. She had told Aang that her mother had been killed, but she had never gone into details over it. _Aang_. A mental image of the Airbender slid into Katara's mind and her forced grief turned into a feeling of light, fluttery magma that bubbled pleasantly in her stomach.

Aang was the Avatar and the last Airbender. He was the world's last hope for peace. He was Katara's best friend. The only thing that puzzled the Waterbender was her reaction to him. _Why_ did this feeling creep into her body every time she thought of him? _It must just be protectiveness_, Katara tried to persuade herself for about the thousandth time. Aang was just a twelve-year old kid with a vacuous but serious personality. He wasn't even excessively attractive. Yet every time Katara thought about his appearance, she mentally drooled all over it. _He doesn't even have hair_, she reminded herself.

Now _Zuko_ had hair. Shouldn't she be more interested in someone who was physically attractive and not just emotionally attractive? But she reminded herself that looks were certainly not everything and Zuko was definitely no exception. Not quite at Azula's level of evilness, but he had watched and helped his sister attempt to kill the Avatar. That was disgusting on its own. Still, Katara couldn't help but notice the change and improvement of Zuko's physical appearance when she had seen him in the tea shop that day. Even with that scar, he was extremely good-looking.

But she never got that bubbly feeling thinking about Zuko. For so long, he had chased and attacked them, trying to catch the world's last hope for peace just so he could get his honor back. Mostly when she thought of Zuko, a white-hot hatred erupted in her chest and she longed to fight him. There was definitely some kind of magma involved there, but Katara knew it wasn't the right kind.

Back in reality, the Waterbender had her water whip curled carefully around the ankle of the Fire Nation soldier, having just dragged him out of a nearby barricade of vegetation. He must have been preparing to attack her. Maybe he had decided the fire that had drawn the other three soldiers away was unimportant and now he was here to finish what they had started. To force Katara into being a healer for them.

Or worse, make her show him where Aang was. Fear stabbed Katara's heart like a spear. She knew that must have been why he was here. She was a healer, yes, but he must know that she knew Aang. The other three probably knew too. They should have recognized her as the Waterbender who traveled with the Avatar. _What has this world come to?_ Katara thought in distress, shaking her head miserably.

Those other three Firebenders she'd just barely escaped. Katara knew they'd be back and she'd have to run a long ways to get back to camp and warn her friends. But there wasn't a chance of her making it back now. She'd spend so much time fighting this new soldier that an army would show up and easily overpower her. But Katara, being as stubborn as she was, would have to at least try. For the safety of her friends (_and maybe in Aang's case, a little more than friends_, Katara thought, a blush rushing to her cheeks at the thought), she was willing to sacrifice her own life. And no matter what, she would _not_ tell them where her friends were. She was staying true to her mother's personality and was going to be brave to the very end, even if that was now.

At least this Firebender looked a lot weaker than the others and was considerably shorter than your average soldier. But he was still a Firebender; a dangerous, inconsiderate, uncaring _ghost_ of a human being with no respect for nature or humanity, just a fine taste for power. Just like all the others.

"No…" Katara groaned softly as the man before her struggled to register what had just happened. He must have been trying to sneak up on her because he certainly didn't look like he had planned for all this to happen. The young Water Tribe girl had heard him poking around in the bushes and had reacted on impulse, grabbing his foot and pulling him up to her before he had the chance to attack. Suddenly, the soldier jerked away from Katara's grasp and pulled himself to his feet with surprising grace.

Even though he was shorter than most of the other soldiers, he was still several inches taller than Katara. _Around Sokka's height, it looks like,_ Katara estimated, backing slowly away from the threat. She knew she would have to fight now; there was no way around it. Fight to the death and if not, stay true to her words and keep her friends safe no matter what they did to her. With a sudden boost of confidence, she took a stance.

Gathering up all her remaining strength, Katara closed her eyes and placed her hands over the small creek that wound itself around the clearing. _Thank the spirits for this creek_, she found herself thinking and smiled slightly. With one smooth, swift motion, Katara brushed her hands over to face her attacker and Bended an enormous wave of water at him, knocking him hard and sending him stumbling to the ground.

"What are you doing?!" the man snarled, Firebending himself dry and taking a stance. Katara lowered her guard slightly. His voice was a lot younger-sounding than she had expected. As with all Firebenders (except Zuko, of course, who had a very distinct tone of voice), Katara assumed that the soldier would have a much gruffer, firmer voice. Maybe even a grunt. But she had been wrong in this case.

"I know what you're up to!" she shouted bravely, trying not to let the soldier see how much she was trembling. "You want me to lead you to the Avatar!"

"The Avatar?" The Firebender suddenly dropped his stance, his eyes widening with shock. Gray eyes. Peering into the eyeholes of the man's mask, Katara noticed he had round, expressive gray eyes. Forcibly, she was reminded of Aang. _Same shape and color, I guess,_ Katara thought reluctantly, flinching inwardly at having compared Aang to the ruthless Firebender who was about to kill her, or worse, force her to show him Aang.

"You know what I mean!" she shouted back, feeling a lot more confident now that she'd had time to contemplate the stranger. But she had just made a huge mistake and she didn't realize it until the Firebender spoke again.

"You know where the Avatar is?"

Katara felt her insides freeze like the water she constantly manipulated. _No_. She had _not_ just told that Firebender she knew where Aang was. But hadn't that been why he was here? To try and persuade her into telling along with making her a Fire Nation healer? From his increasingly shocked expression (seen only, of course, by his eyes as the rest of his body was covered by the scaly, red armor), Katara realized that _hadn't_ been his plan. And she had just admitted what she least wanted to admit.

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest now, but the young Waterbender didn't notice. _We're all in danger_. The thought passed through her head a thousand times in a second, causing her to cower each and every time. Panic swept through her body like a plague. She felt numb. _What did I do?_

The Waterbender's mind jumped immediately to plan mode (a trait she seemed to have inherited from Sokka). She had to do _something_! Even if she did defeat the soldier, he would just go back to tell the others. Then they'd be pursued forever, just like Zuko had done. No, she couldn't bear that thought. A whole Fire Nation army after them, all because of her.

Crazy plans rolled through the girl's head now and she tried to sort through them, pick one that would work. It was hard under so much pressure but Katara forced her numb mind to work. _I'll have to beat him_, she finally decided. _I can't kill him, that's not right, even if he is a Firebender and I'm not a murderer. I can knock him out… and then bring him to an Earth Kingdom town_._ They can keep him there._

Katara had to admit, it wasn't the greatest plan. It came with the usual twists and turns of an un-thought out idea. What if she couldn't defeat him? What if backup arrived before the fight ended? What if she couldn't find a nearby town and the Firebender escaped? But it would have to do. For now, at least.

So she would bring the Firebender to the nearest Earth Kingdom town and they could hold him there. He'd never get the chance to tell anyone else that she knew the Avatar. Then Katara could warn her friends and "yip-yip" out of there. But she still had to execute the plan, the part that most troubled her. For it to be a success, she would have to fight. A_nd win_, she reminded herself nervously. Her back gave a painful flutter and she tensed.

"You'll never get me to tell," Katara whispered in a small, but strong voice, forming a water whip and swinging it at the man. He leapt out of the way just in time.

"You know, for a girl, you certainly are aggressive!" the soldier called back, dodging another blow. "But if you _do_ know the Avatar, I'm going to have to bring you back to the Fire Nation with me."

So he had been formulating his own little plan. _Brilliant_, Katara thought dryly. She rushed forward and lashed out again, crying out in frustration at the Firebender's nimbleness. _How is he doing that in all that armor?_ She kept up her offense, still trying desperately to get a hold of the man or at least hit him with a good swing of her water whip.

But he was good at evading her and when Katara stopped her assault, drooping and panting at her effort, the soldier finally took an offensive stance. He raised his hands at level with his head, palms facing down, then dropped his arms in one swift motion, cutting the tense air with two streams of fire. Katara immediately reentered the fray with a thicker water whip just as the man slashed her with his fire ropes.

The Waterbender screamed in pain as she fell back, a nasty burn forming on her face, but she wasn't out yet. Oh, no, she'd fight to the death if that's what it took. No Firebender was going to use her as a tool to get to Aang. Regaining her balance, Katara attacked with her whip, cutting the soldier across the waist with it.

But to her horror, the water did nothing but bounce off his plated armor, barely even scratching it. _It's hopeless_, the Water Tribe girl thought desperately, feeling suddenly weak. There was _no_ way she could take him out, not while he was wearing that armor.

"Take your armor off! That's cheating!" Before she could even _try_ to stop herself, the words tumbled out of her mouth in a hurried rush.

The soldier smirked, knowing he had her scared. "Why would I do that?"

He had lowered his fiery weapons and Katara, detecting an opening, attacked again. Caught unawares, the man tripped as a string of water wrapped itself around his ankle and pulled him down. With a cry of concentration, Katara Bended an enormous wave from the creek at the soldier, washing him into a scrawny tree trunk. The impact knocked a large, brown nut out of the tree's thinning branches and right down perfectly on the Firebender's head.

He groaned, still trying to rub water out of his eyes and recover from the blow at the top of the head, which had created a loud _pang _that shook his helmet. Katara smiled in satisfaction. _I guess that armor's not so great after all_, she smirked to herself. And suddenly, the Waterbender knew how she could beat him. Though he tried fruitlessly to wipe drops of water out of his eyes, his efforts were in vain. His helmet was preventing him from getting his hand near his eyes.

While he was down, the Waterbender lashed out again with her water whip, aiming this time for his eyes. But to her shock and horror, the whip never reached his face. The soldier, though deprived of clear sight, had sensed the imminent danger and drew his hand up in front of him with a rapid, slicing motion, Bending a powerful wall of fire in front of him that shielded him from harm and caused Katara's water whip to snap and sizzle angrily, refusing to touch the flame. With a graceful, shoving hand motion, he effortlessly sent the blazing barrier forward. Katara, who had not been expecting such a quick response to her attack, just barely managed to shield herself with a cascading sphere of water from the creek, which repelled and extinguished the fire but disintegrated in the process. The Water Tribe girl gasped for breath and tried to regain her composure.

But before she could do so, something white-hot licked the side of her face and she turned just in time to see the man on his feet again, Bending a whip of his own at her. With another painful burn mark on her face, Katara struggled to keep fighting. _No, I can't let Aang down_, she thought, panicking. Packing up all of her remaining strength, the determined Waterbender streamed the water at the soldier, hitting him directly in the eyes. He reacted in the same way as before, desperately trying to wipe his eyes dry but failing miserably.

Smiling slightly despite her increasing pain, Katara lunged at him, bringing with her a torrent of racing water. In a matter of seconds, she had both of them surrounded by the cascading barrier, now looped in a tight circle around the two Benders like a safeguard.

But the Firebender didn't lose confidence. With a flick of his wrist, he created a long cord of flame and, mimicking Katara almost exactly, he whirled it around her ankles like he was going to squeeze her into it. The snake-like thread of fire grazed the Waterbender's legs, scorching her pants and burning her shins. Through all of the pain, though, she was impressed. _His Firebending style is unique. It almost looks like Waterbending_. Having seen countless Firebenders in action, Katara had become familiar with their predictable punches and kicks. But she wasn't used to this odd style. It was almost like fighting another Waterbender, which she hadn't done since the North Pole and was certainly struggling with. A Waterbender with fiery, gold water…

The pain in her ankles increased as the fire snake swooped down for another bite of her flesh. Unable to bear anymore, the Water Tribe girl made a slashing motion with her hand, splitting the water behind her right in the middle while the water behind the Firebender closed in. The two loose ends from behind Katara plus the tight loop around the soldier came together, sweeping the Firebender up in a quilt of water. The force of the wave knocked him to the ground again, giving Katara time to plan her next move. As he stood up again, she curled her fingers around a puddle of abandoned water and formed several jagged ice crystals which she promptly sent at him.

The ice shattered against his armor, leaving him unscathed, but the impact sent him toppling over again. But instead of Firebending or even leaping to his feet again, the soldier stayed on the ground, groaning. Katara smiled in satisfaction but it was short-lived. As she drew nearer to the man to finish him off, he took in a deep breath as though he was concentrating on something. Katara realized shortly after that that was not the case. He exhaled roughly, expelling a venomous strand of flame from his mouth. It wasn't much, but it was enough to burn the Waterbender's hands as she attempted to cover her face and knock her to the ground.

A familiar and deadly pain filled her body as she crumpled, tears of agony forming in her aquatic eyes. She was forcibly reminded of the time Aang had burned her and she longed to cry even harder.

No, she would not cry! Katara valiantly fought back more tears. She was not going to cry in front of that Firebender! She wasn't going to lead him to Aang, crying and whimpering like a helpless saber-toothed moose-lion cub on a leash. But the pain was so intense. She couldn't keep fighting. _Aang… I won't give up…_ But it seemed that the fight was over. The Firebender stood over her menacingly. Or was it menacingly? There was something in his posture that suggested otherwise.

"I…" started the soldier but then he stopped. And then, he did the most shocking thing he possibly could have. He turned away and slowly started walking. _What's he doing?!_ Katara knew she should be glad but instead, she was only angry. Why, after defeating her in a proper battle, was he turning his back on her? Why wasn't he bringing her back to the Fire Nation as he had promised? She wouldn't go willingly, of course, but why wasn't he at least trying?

He had stopped in front of the bushes Katara had pulled him out of earlier. He seemed to be thinking. And then it hit Katara. He was trying to trick her! He knew she was too weak to go far from this spot and that she would be quite a hassle to bring back himself. He was planning on sending in backup. And she could _never_ defeat an entire army of Fire Nation soldiers, especially in the state she was in.

The gears in the Water Tribe girl's brilliant head were rotating furiously, grinding down every possible plan, every trick she knew, _anything_ that could spare her from this fate. Unfortunately, they all required Waterbending which Katara was not capable of at the moment. A feeling of hopelessness washed over her.

Until she heard Aang's voice, that is. _Never lose hope, Katara._ The Waterbender looked up, expecting to see Aang's warming, gray eyes but instead found a different pair of gray eyes looking at her. The Firebender had turned around to face her but still had not acted. He seemed conflicted; it was easy to tell from his vacant expression.

_You're right, Aang,_ Katara thought back to the Avatar in her head. _I won't give up. Not now and not ever._ And suddenly, another voice was speaking in her ear. _There is a darker side of Waterbending, Pupil Katara. _It was Master Pakku's voice! Why was she hearing him _now_? But the pupil listened to her teacher intently as she recalled a chat she had once had with him during her training at the North Pole. _Humans are made up seventy percent of water. Skilled Waterbenders use this to their advantage by Bending the water inside their opponent. This allows them to control their victim's every move and force them to do their bidding. But those who have the skill to do this aren't usually willing to use it._

Katara had never tried Bending the water in someone's body before, but remembering how fast she had mastered Waterbending, she considered herself a rather skilled Bender. He had said it was darker, but right now, it seemed like her only option. Perhaps if she concentrated really hard, she would be able to force the man to knock himself out. The idea was morbid but what else could she do? The soldier was still there, too, in perfect positioning to Katara. He was still standing by the brush and as much as she wondered why, she knew she had to work fast, before he made up his mind about what to do.

Taking a deep but staggering breath and placing her hands in the position of her most powerful moves, Katara concentrated on the water inside the soldier. It was a sickening thought but as Master Pakku had said, it was a 'darker' side of Waterbending. Nothing. She couldn't sense _anything_ inside this man! It was like he didn't have any water in him at all! Starting to get anxious and impatient, the Waterbender concentrated even harder, focusing on her chi and the source of water nearest her.

He was suddenly a pool. No longer a person, but a vast set of canals and winding rivers. She felt the flow as if it coursed through her own body. There were arteries and veins in the way, but she could feel past them. It was almost like extreme healing, although Katara had never healed anything this deep inside the body before.

And finally, she saw it. The water. It was no different than ordinary water, really. And like ordinary water, it could be controlled. Taking a deep breath while concentrating as much as her sore mind would allow, Katara started to Bend.

The Waterbender didn't know what to expect from this move but whatever she had been thinking was nothing like what she was seeing. A piercing scream filled the horrified girl's ears and she widened her eyes, still wildly moving her hands, unaware of what she was doing.

The Firebender jerked back with the motion of her hands, a look of utmost pain in his eyes. His body twitched and shook as he was forced and twisted into painful and infeasible positions. His limbs were stuck out in awkward positions and he started panting as though he had just run a marathon. His eyes bulged and faded until they were unfocused. Whichever way Katara pulled, he was forced to follow all the while floundering helplessly like a fish out of water.

"STOP! PLEASE!" He screamed in a voice much different than the one Katara had heard earlier. He sounded desperate and pleading. Tears were forming in his eyes as he was pulled to and fro by the Waterbender. Fearfully, Katara dropped her hands and ended the move. The Firebender staggered sideways several paces before he collapsed in a trembling heap on the ground.

Katara rushed over to him, having achieved her desired goal but in a way that chilled her to the core. Had she just _tortured_ that Firebender? Still in shock, she stared at his limp form, trembling. Was he dead? No, he was moving. His breathing was shallow and quick, but he was still breathing.

_Master Pakku was right_, Katara thought to herself, still shocked at what she had done. _I'm never going to Waterbend like that again._

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

I tried to make this chapter a little Zutara-friendly by adding the bit about Zuko. And I promise, next chapter will be told from both P.O.V.'s _and_ have a physical description of Kairo.


	3. Underestimated

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar; the Last Airbender" or anything related to it.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_Nothing_ was turning out like I had expected it to. I decided to do something good for once and this is how I got thanked? The girl was too stubborn for her own good! She deserved what she got! After she dragged me into the clearing and forced me to fight her when I had just saved her life!

I lowered my eyes to the ground where she sat, splay-legged in the grass where I had knocked her down with my fire. She was weak and pretty much helpless now. She had no strength left to fight. I could easily subdue her and bring her back to camp with me tonight. After all she put me through, she deserved it. So primitive and ungrateful! A simple "thank you" would have been enough for me to hear.

I had burned her pretty badly, too. Nothing she couldn't heal, I guessed, but enough to make her suffer. She couldn't heal herself now, not with me standing over her like that. I didn't want to hurt her but it was her fault. She had challenged me and I wasn't going to wait passively for her to win. Still, I hoped nothing I did to her was permanent, nothing inerasable like an Agni Kai scar or anything.

The Waterbender looked up at me fearfully, her eyes sparkling like a shattered sapphire, all hope lost. She seemed to know what was coming; after all, I had told her before. But as I looked at her, I couldn't help but make the comparison between her and another girl I had once met.

Because I had seen eyes like that only one other time in my life and it had affected me the same as it was now. Her eyes were like that of the small girl; a girl with emerald eyes instead of sapphire. Much younger, of course, but she had just lost both of her parents. Still, she was as brave as anything. And she was a girl I was to bring to an early and miserable death; a girl who had taken a liking to me despite being Earth Kingdom.

X

Everything was black. The trees, the ground, the charred ruins of what hours before was a peaceful village, even the vulture-crows that huddled in the piles of ash that had gathered in the branches of the surviving trees. Everything except the sun. It set distantly through the tangled branches of the endless forest of black, a blood-red orb in a sea of inky, toxic orange, its rays not kind enough to light the dead forest.

A thick layer of ash and soot lined the forest floor and coated rubble. Every now and then, a stretch of land would be dyed red and a fragment of bone stuck out of the dirt or wreckage. The few houses that were still standing were severely charred and lopsided, making them impossible for inhabitance. The silence was incredible. It stretched on forever. Not even the birds made a peep. But then, they were probably dead too.

I kept my head low as I walked silently through the ruin, careful not to upset any unsteady structures. I had deserted my armor; it made too much of a noise and was easy to spot. Instead, I had on my thin Fire Nation robes, which were easy to sneak around in and hardly made a swish.

The battle hadn't been a long one. None of the citizens could have guessed that there would be an attack. It was just sprung upon them. They'd fought back, but it was such a tiny village; they never stood a chance. Everyone had been killed.

Or at least, _most_ everyone. And that was my job. After every battle, I was responsible for poking through the destroyed towns and seek out any survivors. I was to bring them back with me, be they children, men, or women. They would then spend the rest of their lives working in Fire Nation coal mines. It was a lot of emotional strain for a thirteen-year old, but I had the job because of my fleet-footed qualities and agility.

A chill wind blew in from the east, whistling an eerie tune that only added to the drama. I shivered and pulled my robes tighter around me. I had only been searching for an hour and there was plenty of village left to search. I blew my bangs out of my eyes and stepped over a twisted and blackened tree trunk. There didn't appear to be anybody left. They had either been killed or wisely fled.

That's when I heard it. A soft, muffled sobbing. It was so quiet I almost mistook it for the wind's haunting chorus. I pricked my ears and searched the clearing with my keen, gray eyes. There was movement behind one of the remaining shacks. A girl by the sound of it. Cautiously, I climbed over to the noise and stepped behind the half crumbled building.

A small gasp met my ears and a little girl, only around six or seven, made to scramble away from me, her face pale and her eyes wide. She was short and petite with a round, tear-stained face and several freckles. Her long, curly, brown hair reached down to her lower back. She had soft, green eyes and tiny fingers that she had curled into fists upon seeing me.

"Y-you're o-one of t-them!" she cried, tears running down her cheeks. "G-go away!"

"Shhh, calm down," I said quietly, hating myself for what I was about to do. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Y-you h-hurt Mommy and D-daddy!" she wailed, more tears erupting from underneath her eyelids. "You're g-going to h-hurt me t-too!" I immediately felt sorry for the little girl. She had just lost both of her parents. I was lucky to have one. _One who hates you_, I reminded myself subconsciously. "N-now they're g-gone. They're n-never c-coming b-b-back!"

And at these words, the little girl started gasping for breath, choking and crying uncontrollably, her small body heaving and shaking. I was stung. Both of her parents had been killed and now I was going to force her to work in a coal mine where she likely wouldn't live to her ninth birthday.

I crouched down in front of her. "It's okay. Don't worry. Just come with me, I can help you."

"NO!"

I sighed and reached out my hand, putting it on her small shoulder. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away but continued sobbing. "Look, I've lost one of my parents and I have a father who hates me. I know what you're going through."

The girl looked up, her face red and splotchy. "You d-do?"

I nodded, inwardly wanting to stab myself. "Yes. I can help you if you come with me. We can find someone to take care of you. If you don't, you'll be out here all alone with the wolf-bats."

She shuddered. "W-well, my aunt and uncle l-live in the village n-near this one. Can you b-bring me there?"

"Absolutely," I replied, taking her small hand in my own while fumbling around with that invisible knife I was trying to get through my heart. It would serve me right. The girl's face brightened considerably and she hugged me. I felt sick with myself.

"T-thanks, Mister," she said into my clothes, trying bravely to stem her tears. I felt my heartbeat quicken as I lifted her into my arms and stepped away from the hut, turning to leave in the direction of my camp.

"Mister, my aunt and u-uncle live _this_ w-way!" the girl interrupted suddenly, pointing her little finger in the direction opposite of where I was going.

I felt sick again and that little imaginary knife was uncomfortably close to my heart. I had to do something and fast. I stood there for a moment, the girl staring expectantly with her jade-green eyes. To help her or sentence her to death?

"Sorry." I turned and headed in the direction of her finger, mentally dropping the knife where I stood. Something small and painful was lifted off my chest and I suddenly felt better than I had in a long time. Was this the feeling you got whenever you did something good? I fixed a crooked grin to my face. Maybe it was.

The wind blew again and the girl started to cry silently into my shirt. I couldn't let the general see tear-stains in my shirt or he'd know I helped her! I had to get her to stop thinking about her village and parents.

"So what's your name, young lady?" I asked conversationally, holding her farther away from my chest so I could get a better look at her. Her eyes were still red and sore but at the question, a small smile spread across her face, lighting her features.

"Monakka!" she interjected happily, glad to have somebody interested. "But everyone calls me Mona!"

"Oh, er, pretty name," I said distractedly, glancing nervously around to make sure I wasn't being watched. If anybody found me, be they Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation, I'd be in huge trouble. The thought was unsettling and I made sure to walk fast while still keeping stealthy in nature. The wind picked up and Mona threw herself back against me, shivering.

"You're really warm, Mister!" she said suddenly, clinging contentedly to my chest. "And fun to hug!"

"Oh!" I said, touched and shocked by this sudden statement from the little Earth Kingdom girl. "Thanks."

"You're not like those mean fire people who did this," she continued excitedly, happy to make a new friend. "You're nice. What's your name?"

"I, er," I stuttered, uncomfortable with the question. She wouldn't tell anyone who I was if asked, would she? Even if she had friendly intentions, if anyone under General Zhong heard about me helping her, the general would flay me alive.

"You don't have a name?" Mona gasped, her eyes widening.

"No, I do." I hesitated. I guess I could trust her not to tell. "But you have to promise not to tell _anyone_. I mean it. Not even if you're being nice."

"Okay, I promise!" she replied seriously, offering me her pinky. "Pinky-promise!"

I nodded and locked fingers with her. "Okay. It's Kairo."

"That's a cool name."

"You think so?"

"Uh-huh!"

I grinned. "Well, Miss Mona, we better hurry and get you to your relatives' house before dark. We don't want those wolf-bats after us, do we?"

She giggled. "Nope! Hurry, hurry!"

I carried the little girl through the dead forest, which eventually became thick and lush again, much to both of our pleasure. I made sure to constantly keep an eye out for Fire Nation soldiers and others of this ilk. Fortunately, we had a safe journey and finally, the trees thinned out and the shape of a darkened village was barely distinguishable at the bottom of a sloping hill. However, much to my displeasure, the town, even at this time of night, was abuzz with news on the destruction of their sister village. I had just barely set foot in the town when I found myself flanked by men in armor, all with pointed, bamboo spears positioned directly at my throat.

"Let the girl go, filth," the man closest to me growled, "or we'll shred you to pieces." He looked much stronger than the others; he even had a different uniform. I made the assumption that he was the captain.

"Wait, wait, you don't understand!" I cried pleadingly, sick of the day's events and desperate to show them I wasn't going to attack. "I'm just try– "

But I was cut off when the man jabbed his spear right up to my chin, just a few inches away from my throat.

"Shut up!" the captain shouted, his brown eyes blazing. "I don't want to hear any of your pathetic excuses. Now let the girl go or we'll kill you."

He wasn't being one-hundred percent honest, I could tell. He planned on killing me no matter what. Letting Mona go would only make him do it slower. They'd probably interrogate me first and then kill me. I tried to not show fear but I knew I was done for. That feeling of doing something right had long since evaporated and I was completely miserable. Now he was just waiting for the right moment to kill me and nothing was going to stop him. Nothing until, that is, the unlikeliest little voice shouted at the man.

"Don't you dare hurt my friend, you stupid man!" Mona screamed, clinging protectively to my neck. "If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me too!"

I was awestruck and so too were the men, who all gasped and stared at Mona incredulously. She was willing to sacrifice her own life to protect me! Of course, the men wouldn't kill her, but it was the sweetest thing she could have done. She was brave, I had to admit.

"Wait a second!" another voice called out and a man in the line pulled his helmet off. "Sir, don't touch them! That's my niece! That's Mona!"

"Gahnsin?" the captain lowered his spear from my neck and I shrank back slightly. "This is your niece? The one who lived in Sabasa?" Sabasa was the name of the village we had destroyed. It had always been closely associated with Sarasa, the town I'd probably end up being killed in as it seemed.

"Yes, yes! That's her!" Mona's uncle Gahnsin cried joyously, rushing over to us only to be stopped by the man.

"Stop! That soldier's still got her!"

The men closed in around us. I could feel their spears pricking my back and I exhaled sharply in fear. "L-look, I'm putting her down," I stammered, dropping Mona carefully on to the ground.

"Mona, come on!" her uncle cried, gesturing wildly behind the man's back.

"Bye, Kairo," Mona said sadly in a voice only we could hear as she hugged my legs. "I'll miss you. Come back and visit sometime!"

I nodded even though I knew, even if I managed to escape this, I would never be able to keep that promise. I felt a lump in my throat as Mona ran off to her uncle. He picked her up and muttered a hurried goodbye to the captain, saying he had to tell his wife and then he was off.

"So, boy," the man sneered. "Why did you have that young girl with you?"

"I was bringing her back here," I managed to spit out, hanging my head. I had to get out of here! I started to inch back but made contact with a few spear tips and stopped abruptly.

The captain smiled coldly. "Men, arrest the Fire Nation soldier! I want to question him later." Somebody grabbed my collar while the others held their spears up at me. The person holding me kicked me in the back of the ankles and I fell forward, nearly choking as I did.

"Go on, walk!" he spat. But I never had the chance to move before a shrill and joyful voice called out.

"Where is the young man who saved my niece?" I turned my head weakly to see a tall, dark-haired woman in a tan night gown hurrying across the grass barefoot, holding Mona who was absolutely shrieking with pleasure. Gahnsin followed close behind her, his face unreadable.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid to say it was this Fire Nation boy who bright her back, obviously for his own evil intentions," the captain said, turning to face the woman. "But don't worry, you're niece is safe and that's all that matters. Go back to your house; it's too dangerous for you to be out tonight."

"Oh, danger my rear-end," the woman said bitterly. "Let me see this boy. I want to thank him."

"Ma'am, we can't allow this. Don't you understand? He's a Fire Nation soldier! He wanted to murder your niece!"

"Actually, that _isn't_ what I had in mind, Captain, if you don't mind me saying so." I didn't know what caused me to remark like that but before I could stop myself, the words had stridden from my mouth, firm and cold. The man holding me gasped and let go of my shirt and I regained my composure.

The woman beamed and shoved the captain aside roughly. "Thank you _so much_," she whispered, the tears starting in her eyes conflicting with her previously tough approach. "I don't know what I would've done if my little Mona had been killed. First my sister, then…" She drew in a great, shuddering breath and suddenly, pulled me into a motherly hug.

"No problem," I said quietly. I had never been hugged like this before. Perhaps this was how it felt to have a loving mother. The woman let go a few seconds later, giving me a watery smile and I savored the warmth of the hug, glowing proudly inside. Finally I'd done something right. "Now run along, go back to where you ought to be. Can't have my niece's savior getting in trouble with his general, can I?" The woman chuckled and patted me warmly on the shoulder.

I bowed politely to her and started to run, eager to leave before anyone changed their mind about letting me go. The men parted to let me through, grumbling as they did. Obviously, none of them were too keen to let a Fire Nation soldier just walk right out of their grasp.

As I reached the top of the hill, I heard Mona and her aunt. "Who is that boy, do you know?" her aunt was asking. I took in a sharp breath.

"I don't know," Mona said promptly. "He never told me his name."

I breathed a sigh of relief. So she could be trusted after all. _Thank you, Mona_.

X

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The young Avatar's heart thudded against his chest as he tore through bushes with his Airbending, suddenly uncaring about what he was doing to the nature and wildlife. This couldn't be happening. Not to him. Not to _her_. He should have gone with her. He should never have let her go alone. It was all his fault!

The very thought that Katara was in trouble was too painful to think about. Aang knew she could take care of herself, but what if the Fire Nation troops recognized her as the Avatar's Waterbending master? Katara was a valiant fighter but helpless against a whole army, as were they all. If they found her, they'd try to get her to tell them where he was. Knowing Katara, she wouldn't be even _close_ to revealing his whereabouts. But for her sake, Aang hoped she wouldn't be stubborn with them. Firebenders were ruthless and Aang would rather have them find him than take Katara. After all, it had been he who had brought her on this wild and reckless mission to begin with.

Aang's heart ached as crazy thoughts of Katara being tortured whipped through his head. Not Katara. They were best friends, hopefully even more. Aang loved Katara and if anything happened to her that was all because of him, he'd never forgive himself.

"KATARA!" Aang bellowed in anxious frustration. "Katara, we are you?!"

"It's no use, Twinkletoes," came a voice from Aang's right. He whipped around and glared furiously at Toph, who had her arms crossed across her chest and was looking quite sullen. How could she be so negative?

"What do you mean it's 'no use'?" he spat, turning angrily on the girl he usually respected and got along with quite well.

"I can't feel her vibrations anywhere!" Toph scowled back, feeling hurt and unwanted in the Airbender's company. "There's nothing else we can do here."

"What are we supposed to do, then?!" Aang asked heatedly, his fear for Katara surging through him as pure anger rather than sensitive emotion. "Just give up?!"

"Aang, don't worry, Katara will be fine. She's strong and she can protect herself." Sokka had just hacked his way through a thicket of bushes with his machete, his face and arms severely scratched. He sounded fiercely worried despite his words.

"I'm taking Appa," Aang said suddenly, turning to head back to their camp. If Toph couldn't feel Katara's vibrations, she had to be far off. Maybe the Fire Nation already had her? The thought caused Aang to shudder.

"Aang, stop!" Sokka said firmly. "We can't take Appa! You saw this place; it's crawling with Fire Nation soldiers! If any of them find you-"

"I don't care!" Aang interrupted, already running through the trees using his Airbending. "I'm not loosing Katara." He didn't get very far, however, before he felt himself being flipped into the air. He steadied himself with Airbending, landing neatly on his feet and turned around to glare at Toph, who was standing in an Earthbending stance with her arms outstretched.

"Aang, Sokka's right," she said sadly. "We can't take Appa. We'll just have to keep looking on foot for now." Aang was sure he heard a hint of glee in her voice as she said this but he couldn't be sure.

He sighed deeply, feeling as though his insides were twisting around each other like wriggling worms in a wrestling match. But he knew his two friends were right. Taking Appa would only be the end of them all. Including Katara. "Okay," he said, defeated. "Let's keep looking."

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Something was stopping me. I couldn't just take her back to the Fire Nation. She knew the Avatar; she had already admitted that much. And the Avatar was what my country needed to win the war. This _was_ a war, after all. But this didn't seem right. Not morally.

"I…" I said, unsure of what to do. _This isn't right_. That stupid, little right-from-wrong voice was in my head. _You can't do this. Remember Mona?_ I had saved Mona's life but I hadn't done it intentionally. It just sort of… happened. I turned away from the girl and started walking back. It wasn't until I reached the trim of the forest that the other half of me fought back.

_Do it! You'll be honored forever! The Fire Lords in history will remember you as the soldier who won the war! _Before I had time to consider this, the two voices began to clash.

_That's not true_, the other side countered. _General Zhong will be remembered for pursuing the Avatar. You'll be lucky to get an unnamed mention. Plus, you'll probably get punished for leaving your post._

_But if you bring back the girl who knows where the Avatar is, he'll forget that and honor you! _I looked back at the girl. She was sitting silently in the charred grass, squeezing her burned hands together in pain, tears collecting in her stunning azure eyes. She looked up at me but I was too distracted to pay much attention. True, if I brought her back, I would be able to evade trouble.

_No! You know how General Zhong is! He'll likely just take the girl and punish you, then find the Avatar for himself. He's a filthy, lying beaver-rat and you know it!_

_You'll be a hero! A Fire Nation legend! Just subdue the girl and bring her back. It's not that hard!_

_That's kidnapping!_ _You two were not engaged in a battle and she is not a soldier. That's wrong – you'd be taking her away from her friends and family, even if she does know the Avatar._

_SHUT UP! _I snarled at the voices in my head, starting to feel like I was going crazy by hearing disembodied echoes waging war in my own head. Besides, I had made up my mind. I was just going to leave her there. I wasn't going to help her, nor was I going to harm her. It was her fault all of this was happening and she was just going to have to deal with it herself. If she got caught, I couldn't say I didn't try.

With that in mind and a rather satisfying feeling in my gut, I started to leave. But when I tried to walk, I found I couldn't move. Beyond confused, I tried to move again but I remained motionless. And then, I was in the most pain I've ever been in my whole life.

I screamed, unable to hold it in as an invisible force dragged me backwards. It felt like I was being pulled back by thousands of the tiniest threads that resided deep within my body, ripping at my bones and organs. Something was going to break. Something was going to be crushed and ripped right out of my body. My blood chilled and the flow became irregular. It was clumping up in my veins, squeezing itself against the back of the channels that ran through my body. My breathing turned harsh and shallow and my lunges felt crushed. The liquid in my body turned to fire and burned me from the inside.

I no longer had any control of my movements. A pain so strong that it was numbing dominated my body. I jerked and twisted, doubling over in pain with no time to breathe. My mind went blank and I couldn't see. Everything was bright and blurred. The scene around me melted into a pastel painting and faded a fuzzy black. I couldn't feel my limbs anymore; just a ferocious pain that seemed endless. Tears of pain streamed from my eyes as I struggled to maintain consciousness.

"STOP! PLEASE!" I didn't know who was causing me this much pain, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. Perhaps they would have mercy. My vision was fading rapidly. Everything was getting enveloped in endless folds of wavering black. I could see partial color in one eye, but the other was completely black. I was going to faint! That was it. I couldn't bear it anymore. My skin was stinging and twitching and I felt like I had been reduced to a puddle. _I'm going to die._ The thought passed through my head again and again and I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't take it much longer. Sooner or later, I was actually going to die…

I heard a terrified gasp behind me, and then, it was over. I stumbled sideways several steps, overwhelmed with pain, before collapsing on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. I struggled to catch my breath but every time I tried to breathe, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Everything was dark. I heard footsteps beside me but I was too weak to move or even open my eyes. There was silence for awhile save for a gentle whimpering. I slowly opened my eyes to see the Water Tribe girl beside me, looking distinctly horrified. Color returned to my vision as the pain continued to die down to a low throb. After several long seconds, she spoke.

"Take off your armor."

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His face had paled greatly and his eyes were wide with shock. And pain. The mirror of Katara's own eyes, though she did her best to hide it under her icy glare and slanted eyebrows. He seemed too weak to move but he listened to her simple statement and started to slowly pull his armor off.

A small breeze caressed through the afternoon air, ruffling the Waterbender's neatly done braid and she followed it with her gaze. The scene of the fight was much different than it had been when Katara had arrived earlier with an innocent intent of picking berries for her vegetarian-friend back at their camp. The dying grass was scorched in several places creating long, blackened trails and wispy weeds were torn up by their roots. There was a monstrous amount of water that had been splashed over the grass when Katara had struggled to defend herself earlier that day. The creek was still flowing but with a much scarcer supply of water.

Gathering her last remaining strength, Katara started to Bend the creek water back into its rightful place, feeling utterly disturbed with herself. She could hear the soldier still struggling with his armor but didn't bother to check on him. She was still going according to plan and was preparing to take him to whatever Earth Kingdom town was nearest.

After the events of the day, however, the Water Tribe girl was a little reluctant. Even so, she didn't want to be responsible for leading another search party right to Aang and the others and then have to evade them forever like with Zuko. _At least he won't have to fight anymore_, Katara thought, trying to convince herself that what she was doing was for the better. Still, it didn't seem right. Her mind immediately floated back to what she had done.

_Master Pakku warned me_, she reminded herself again, feeling deeply ashamed of what her master might say about this. _What was I thinking?_ Truthfully, Katara knew. She had been so focused on attacking the Fire Nation soldier that she hadn't realized what she was about to do. The look in the man's eyes as she tortured him… It was unbearable, even if it was coming from a Firebender.

But his eyes… They looked so much like Aang's and Katara was increasingly reminded of Aang. She had seen _his_ eyes like that before. Whenever he had just gotten out of the Avatar State. And the man's pained shrieks for mercy. What was wrong with her? She should've known that 'darker' meant 'painful'. She should have known better than to mess with the forces of nature… To take advantage of one's weakness for her own personal gain.

_But it will never happen again_, she told herself, trying to find comfort. Yet somehow, she couldn't seem to get his screams out of her head.

'_STOP! PLEASE!'_ That's all he had said. That all he had seemed _able_ to say. But it was horrifying all the same, to know that she had caused that much pain to somebody.

The creek sparkled as Katara dropped the last of the water in, wiping sweat off her forehead with her hand. The sun had started to set and was casting a light orange glow in the shimmering, clear water, illuminating the various stones and pebbles that littered the floor. The others would be wondering where she was by now. She hadn't come back from her berry-picking excursion. Feeling anxious, Katara turned back to the soldier, ready to leave. But what she saw made her nearly die from shock.

Because the Fire Nation man wasn't a man at all. He was a teenager. He looked only about Katara's age of fourteen, though he was several inches taller than her. He was thin and lanky with bony but sturdy shoulders and a slightly curved neck. His thick, light-brown hair crawled down the back of his neck but was nowhere near long enough for a ponytail, a factor Katara registered as odd for a Firebender, and his bangs curled neatly right before they hit his storm-gray eyes. He had a prominent nose and skin that had been tanned slightly by the climate in the Earth Kingdom, giving him a handsome complexion.

The boy was wearing a set of short-sleeved, pale-red Fire Nation robes with a dark red trim and the Fire Nation insignia sewn into the chest. The sleeves of his shirt hung low under his thin and noticeably angled arms, running down to his elbows in length. His clothes were somewhat baggy on him as though he had once been larger but progressively lost weight over time. He looked surprisingly well-kept.

He had a large, circular bruise on his forehead, barely visible under his thick bangs but very much there, right over his left eye. With a pang of sympathy, Katara realized it was the same shape and size as the nut he had been hit in the head with earlier and realized he must have been feeling her attacks after all. With a jolt, the Waterbender also noticed that he had several more bruises that she was _sure_ she hadn't caused. Most were around his face and neck but some went as far as his arms. _What caused those?_ Katara wondered to herself.

But what really startled Katara was his side. A huge, jagged tear had been ripped into his shirt, coated in dried blood. On closer inspection, she noticed a huge gash gouged in his side and went cold. _What did I do?_ But Waterbending couldn't create such a wide wound, especially with that thick armor on. And then there were the bruises… Had someone else attacked the soldier?

Several seconds silence told Katara it was time to go. The boy was staring at her with the same hurt look in his eyes, along with something new. Was it anger? Katara couldn't tell. He still seemed too weak to do anything but he was going to have to get up.

"Uh, s-stand up," Katara commanded, trying to keep her voice from wavering. Was what she was doing right? But if she didn't… She couldn't let Aang down.

The Firebender started to get up but failed and slumped back on to the ground in a defeated-looking sitting position. "What are you going to do to me?" His voice wasn't fearful, it was sarcastic. Still, he seemed afraid of her all the same and tried to stand up again. Katara realized he was still trembling violently, a continued reminder of what she had done to him. Every attempt to stand cost him all his strength and whenever he would fall, he would wince and shudder. But he was a Firebender. Firebenders had killed her mother. They were ruthless and cruel and he deserved everything she gave him.

"I'm going to take you to an Earth Kingdom town so you won't be able to kill anyone else's mother!" Katara spat, fueling herself with the anger that had risen inside her with the mention of her mother. _Of course _he deserved this! How could _anybody_ kill someone else's mother? Destroy somebody's family? Katara knew she had every right to hate him after everything horrible the Fire Nation had done to her. She was merely protecting innocent lives.

Her answer was met with a terrified yelp of protest. A strange look of sorrow had suddenly replaced the anger in his eyes and Katara wondered why. "Y-you can't do that! I wasn't going to do it to you!" he cried, his eyes widening with fear.

Katara let out a chorus of cold laughter that was quite unlike her usual playful laugh. "You _said_ you were going to! And for your own selfish needs! But what's new? The Fire Nation has _always_ put themselves first. You were prepared to murder to get what you wanted!"

"You're making a mistake!" he snarled, his eyes suddenly flashing angrily. "The way you other nations act – strutting around like you're flawless – makes you just as bad as anyone else! If only you knew what the other two nations have done to me and my friends! Prejudice and murder, that's what you and the Earth Kingdom have in common!"

Katara gasped and fell silent. What was he saying? Was he trying to say that the Fire Nation was justified in starting the war? After everything they had done to her! Katara felt close to crying as she remembered her mother, brutally murdered and for no reason at all. And here was this soldier being selfish and saying the Fire Nation did no wrong! Accusing the other nations of murder and prejudice! How hypocritical he was being! Thanks to the Fire Nation, Katara had grown up without a mother. Thanks to the Fire Nation, she had lived in a tribe ravaged from attacks and raids, a mere village in an icy wasteland that struggled just to get by.

She flipped open her water pouch, having heard enough of his lies. The Firebender, mistakenly thinking she was about to attack him, shielded his face behind one of his hands. Katara almost laughed but didn't. She streamed a cord of water out of her canteen and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him to his feet with a simple Bending maneuver. When he realized he was safe, he took his hand away from his face.

"Look, I don't care that you know the Avatar," he muttered, calming down but still avoiding her eyes. "If you just let me go back, I swear I will not tell _anyone _about him or you."

He really did sound sincere, even a bit desperate. He seemed to just want to go back to his camp and forget that any of this ever happened. Katara considered his offer but deep down, she didn't trust him (and was still angry about his last smart remark). If he was lying to her, he would get them all killed and the world would never go back to normal, especially with Sozin's Comet on its way. Instinctively, she recalled what he had said about the other nations._ "Prejudice and murder, that's what you and the Earth Kingdom have in common!"_ Was she really being prejudiced by not trusting him? Katara sighed. _I'm not taking my chances_, she thought troublesomely. _He'll be better off anyway. He's too young to be a soldier._

She slipped behind the Firebender and took his warm wrists quickly into her hands. He struggled slightly but he didn't have enough energy to put much effort into his attempts. Realizing she had nothing to tie him up with, Katara scanned the clearing with her soft blue eyes, looking for anything that would suffice. Her gaze landed on the gentle creek that had aided her so far into the day.

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Sorry this chapter didn't move the story along much. It was mostly character development. I promise the next chapter will be more exciting. Reviews are always welcome!


	4. Not So Different After All

Sorry about the long wait, everyone. I've been so busy with school and homework that I haven't had much time for writing. Don't expect quick updates from me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar; the Last Airbender" or anything related to it.

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The aftermath of the attack was, if possible, more painful than the attack itself. My arms and legs felt limp and useless and my head burned with a fierce headache. I felt sick to my stomach with the fear that I might throw-up if I stood. A cutting pain slashed through my body, giving me the feeling of having just been boiled in a pool of calorific lava and left to die on a rocky outcrop. I was drenched from head to toe in cold sweat, causing my bangs to hang flaccidly in front of my eyes and give me a deadened, cryptic look.

I had pulled off a rather sturdy sitting position with my hands planted firmly on the soft grass behind me, successfully supporting my weight. However, the slick, wet grass pressing up on my sweaty palms created less balance than I would have liked and I found myself gradually sliding back. I would have to quickly rebalance myself if I got too far back or else fall flat on the ground. I realized I was still panting a little and made to channel my breathing into deeper, slower breaths. My heartbeat settled and finally returned to normal. As I calmed down, I shook my tepid hair out of my face to get a clearer view of the Waterbender girl in front of me.

I realized now what she had done. In one last, desperate attempt to save herself, she had tried to control me like a human puppet by Bending the liquids inside my body. I shuddered as I recalled the sharp, acute sensation of having every fluid inside of me being forcibly yanked back. With a feeling of raw horror, I realized that if she hadn't stopped sooner, she would have permanently messed up my body's formation and killed me.

The Waterbender was busy restoring the creek water back to its rightful place in the stream. She didn't seem to even notice my presence and if she did, she was promptly ignoring it. Another painful throb reverberated throughout my body and I gritted my teeth. She would have to turn around and address me eventually. But I dreaded the thought. What was she going to do now that she near-killed me? Would she just finish me off with another sick, ill-learned move? _She doesn't seem like the type of person who would kill somebody_, I assured myself, feeling only slightly relieved. Would she force me to give her inside information on the Fire Nation? That seemed like a more plausible fate; I was in so much pain already that she wouldn't have a hard time at all getting me to talk.

The girl turned slightly and I cringed, only to see that she still wasn't facing me. She was staring at the creek that she had just replenished with a far-off, misty-eyed look on her face. I followed her gaze. The creek sparkled as the water rushed over the cool, polished rocks at the bottom, sweeping up small clouds of dirt before dropping them back and continuing on. It was like it was trying to get away from something, something it was afraid of. Just like me. Once I pitied her; now I feared her.

Right on cue, the Water Tribe girl turned around to face me completely. I bravely looked up. To my bewilderment, she was staring at me in a stupor with a glazed, contented look in her pretty, blue eyes, her mouth hanging slightly open. I wondered vaguely why she was looking at me like that but my brain didn't seem to be able to function properly to think about much.

"S-stand up," she said finally, her voice woven with hatred, though somewhat cracked. Fearful, I hastened to obey but my body wouldn't comply. I was still shaking uncontrollably and my bones threatened to snap if I moved again.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked, trying to keep the fear out of my voice but ending up sounding quite cocky instead.

She hesitated as if she doubted herself, but soon recovered and responded, "I'm going to take you to an Earth Kingdom town so you won't be able to kill anyone else's mother!"

"WHAT?!" I cried, my eyes widening with fright. She wasn't going to do that! She _couldn't_ do that! Didn't she know I'd lost my mother too? She was being selfish! I was drowning in regret. Why hadn't I thought about this? I knew I _should've_ thought about it… Why hadn't I just run? I had underestimated her and now I was paying.

My heart beat furiously against my chest like a trapped bird would beat its wings. A feeling worse than horror overshadowed me. It was helplessness. My life was going to be over and it was all my fault.

"Y-you can't do that!" I stammered. "I wasn't going to do it to you!" It was true. I'd already made up my mind about turning her in to the Fire Nation. Why hadn't I just run away before she had attacked me? Things would have been a lot cleaner.

The girl laughed coldly and I shivered. "You _said_ you were going to! And for your own selfish needs! But what's new? The Fire Nation has _always_ put themselves first. You were prepared to murder to get what you wanted!"

"You're making a mistake!" I growled, suddenly angry. I felt all my fears melting away, fueling the fire of my anger as I fumed about what she had said. What right did she have to stereotype my nation? If anyone was selfish, it was the other two nations. They always considered themselves to be the 'good' force in this war. But they were just as evil as anyone, perhaps even more so with _their_ primitive behavior. "The way you other nations act – strutting around like you're flawless – makes you just as bad as anyone else! If only you knew what the other two nations have done to me and my friends! Prejudice and murder, that's what you and the Earth Kingdom have in common!"

A ringing silence followed my words and my heart seemed to stop its eternal drumming for that moment. _Why_ had I said that? It was just like in Sarasa; I couldn't stop myself. My smart mouth was going to be the end of me. I was at her mercy and I had just launched a full-blown attack against her nation. But deep in my heart, I knew every word of it was true.

It took the girl several seconds to recover from what I had said. Even she was stunned. And she had every reason to be. I dropped my gaze to the ground, suddenly very interested in a small bug that was inching slowly on its fallible journey across an unfavorable blade of grass on its tiny, sapless legs.

Moments later (a surprisingly and disturbingly quick recovery time), I heard the unfortunate sound of the Waterbender snapping open her water pouch and proceeded to protect myself against the imminent danger. I hadn't exactly felt one full-force, but those water whips of hers looked uncomfortably harrowing. Now that I didn't have my armor on, I was much more vulnerable. The thought made me seriously anxious.

But instead of feeling an icy slash across the face, something powerful and stable had started folding itself snugly around my waist. I opened my eyes to see a thin strand of water curling itself around me. With a gentle pulling motion, the Water Tribe girl Bended the water, pulling me to my feet. I staggered slightly, feeling like my legs would give way at any moment. I suddenly felt clammier than ever.

"Look, I don't care that you know the Avatar," I said in a gentler tone, having calmed down considerably from my furious outburst. I stared at the ground as she withdrew her strip of water from me and collected it back into her pouch. "If you just let me go back, I swear I will not tell _anyone _about him or you."

The girl regarded me for a moment. She seemed to be thinking over what I had said. But whatever she was thinking didn't matter. I was telling the truth. I wouldn't tell anyone that she knew the Avatar, even if it meant lack of glory for me. _Oh well_, I sighed to myself. _At least Zhong won't pretend he was the one who found out where the Avatar was_.

But instead of making peace and going our separate ways like I had so hoped would happen, the Waterbender girl slid nimbly behind me and snatched my hands in her own. Startled at her sudden decision, I tried to pull away desperately, knowing it was my last chance to save myself. But I could hardly stand, let alone run all the way back to camp from a powerful Waterbender who was watching me with the beady, little eyes of a messenger hawk.

She paused for a moment as though trying to decide what to do next. I found myself short of breath again and my heartbeat picked up. The heat of the dying sun dizzied me. Still she didn't come up with a plan, not until several awkward moments later.

Something intensely frigid and spry slithered promptly up my arms, twisting and turning fleetly in a never-ending dance as it circled my arms over and over again. Surprised, I tried to jerk away but once again I failed, having hardly any strength in me at all. With a resigned and anxious sigh (which resulted in several hot cinders escaping my mouth), I allowed the girl to continue whatever it was she was doing to me, feeling hopeless. What did I ever do to deserve this?

The Waterbender continued to wind her stream of water tightly around my arms until she reached my elbows. The pressure of the icy water caused me to give an involuntary shiver and I winced in pain; it still hurt to move. I let out a sharp gasp as the water suddenly turned to ice, freezing my arms behind me.

"Guess we're not just two kids messing around anymore, huh?" I said bleakly, turning to stare her directly in the eyes.

"No," she answered quietly, dropping her gaze to the ground.

And that's when I realized it; the situation had escalated to a height beyond my reach. It was a lot more serious than saving a girl from being attacked by Fire Nation soldiers. Now it was a life or death situation. And now, there was nothing I could do about it.

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Katara prodded the boy gently in the lower back and he took an uneasy step forward. He had started shaking again although this time, it seemed beyond his control. He stumbled forward a few more steps before his legs gave way and he fell. Katara quickly grabbed his upper arm and pulled him back to his feet, keeping her burned hand on his arm to steady him.

They walked through the clearing in silence, Katara helping the boy up when needed. As they treaded on over the plush grass and the sun began to sink, trees started to sprout out around them like the pictures in a pop-up book might. As the forest thickened and the sky darkened, it became harder for Katara to see where she was going. Several times she stumbled over a root or slipped on pine needles but always managed to regain her balance before she fell. The soldier had an even tougher time and Katara found herself correcting his falls exasperatedly, if not irritatingly, often. When it was almost too dark to see the path, Katara thought longingly of asking the Firebender to light the path but knew it wouldn't work. So she continued to walk on into the dark abyss ahead, hoping against hope that she had chosen the right path back to camp.

Even as the sky turned from blue to orange, even to a bit of navy, and the trees grew ever denser, sheltering the duo from the precious rays of the sun, the boy didn't utter a single word. Without asking him, Katara knew he was defeated. A nagging guilt tugged at her heart but she did her best to ignore it. Once you started a move like this, you couldn't just turn back and she knew it would be unwise to let him go. Maybe if she said something to make him talk then she would discover he really wasn't upset.

"You know, it's all your fault that this is happening!" she finally shot at him, knowing that her words bore little comfort.

"Whatever," he responded listlessly and Katara was aghast to hear his voice sounding so dead and expressionless, even accepting of her words. Without a fight! It was like he'd given up hope for… what did Firebenders hope for? Did they even have hope? Of course they did! _Everyone_ had hope. The thought puzzled Katara. What _did_ he hope for?

His doleful words did little to assure her he was fine and she continued. "Well it's certainly the Fire Nation's fault that I don't have a mother anymore!"

"I have no one to blame but nature."

Nothing could have prepared Katara to hear this and she could only reply with a pathetic and quickly-uttered, "_What_?!" while stopping dead in her tracks.

"I'm talking about a disease," he said, his voice sullen but with a sharp and unsettling bit of edginess to it. He didn't even bother lifting his eyes from the ground. "The one that killed my mum when I was a baby."

Katara was appalled. Not only was this boy turning out to be more normal than she thought, but he also had lost his mother when he was young. With a feeling of dread, she realized she was actually empathizing with him. She needed something to sever the tie, something that made her distinctly different from him.

"And I had to live with my grandmother because my father is out fighting in the war," she continued, starting to walk again. Now she was dragging the boy more than helping him; he seemed suddenly reluctant to follow and his eyes had acquired a sudden look of coldness. "I haven't seen him in two years!"

"Well you're just lucky your father actually _cares_ about you!" he spat suddenly, whirling around to glare savagely at Katara. "Mine could care less if I lived through this stupid war or not!"

Instead of making Katara hate him (which she desperately wanted to do), the soldier was only making her feel sorry for him. Determined to find fault with him, Katara plunged on recklessly.

"Well, what do you expect from the Fire Nation?! They're all ruthless and cruel! If I was born in the Fire Nation, I wouldn't know what I'd do!"

"I wouldn't be talking!"

"OH REALLY?!"

"YES REALLY!" At these words, the seething Firebender huffed a cloud of sultry fire involuntarily from his mouth. "IF IT WEREN'T FOR ME, IT'S SAFE TO SAY YOU'D BE DEAD!"

"_WHAT_?!" Katara shrieked, starting to get the impression that this guy wasn't alright in the head.

"Yeah, that's right," he snapped, "You know when those three guys were attacking you?"

Katara wondered how he knew this, but then realized it must have been part of his plot to begin with. She didn't answer and he continued.

"I felt _sorry_ for you – which I realize now was a stupid mistake," he added before going on in a rage. "I was the one who created the fire that drew them away. I went back just to make sure you were okay. Then _you_ rashly attacked me!"

"Y-you're lying!" Katara cried, trying to convince herself more than anyone.

"And then you used that sick move and tried to _kill_ me!" he snarled, ignoring Katara completely. The young Waterbender gasped at the mention of her mistake back in the clearing and felt heat rising to her cheeks as well as a feeling of undeniable shame. Something about the Firebender actually mentioning the move made her uncomfortable.

"You were asking for it!" she shouted in retaliation, though she knew perfectly well he hadn't been.

"If you had just left me alone I would've been fine!" the boy countered.

"YOU WERE GOING TO KIDNAP ME!"

"I WAS NOT!"

"YOU EVEN SAID SO!"

"WELL I CHANGED MY MIND! IN FACT, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE SUCH VIOLENT TENDANCIES THEN NONE OF THIS WOULD EVEN BE HAPPENING!"

Before Katara could contemplate the meaning of his words, before she could even _think_, she had flipped her water pouch open, drew out a silver, eel-like stream of water, and smacked the boy hard across the face with it. Unfortunately for him, he happened to turn his head at that very moment on a whim of being attacked and the thin, whip-like rope struck him right across the eye. Recoiling, he squeezed both of his eyes shut tight.

Katara gasped, stunned at what she had done. She had only meant to hit him across the face, not in the eye. Why were all her plans backfiring today? She admitted she wasn't the plan-girl, but shouldn't she be able to get at least _one_ thing right?

The boy opened his left eye halfway, blinking back the small stream of viscous blood that was trickling down from under his eyelid. His whole eye looked swollen and a thin slit near the corner glowed red.

"I-I!" Katara stammered, unsure of how to respond to what she had just done.

"Just leave me _alone_!" the soldier snapped and he turned away from her, occasionally wiping his bloody eye on the parts of his shoulder he could reach. Katara, feeling ashamed of herself for losing control, made no effort to continue the conversation and the two continued to walk in silence.

The sun had nearly melted beyond the mountains now and a chill wind blew across the lonely forest path. Somewhere in the south, a wolf-bat sounded its eerie, ringing call to the rising moon. In the west, the vibrant, orange sun, blotted by the formless, black specs that were trees, slowly made its descent deeper into the horizon, framing hills and casting a gold-tinged radiance through the gaps in the thinning trees.

Katara, having been brought up in the South Pole, was used to the sudden drop in temperature. The Firebender, however, was shivering madly in his thin, short-sleeved shirt, obviously unacquainted with the sometimes harsh conditions of the Earth Kingdom. A nagging anxiety that had been pulling at the Waterbender ever since she had been attacked and suddenly came back full-force; what was Aang thinking?

Katara loved the little, bald monk dearly, but Aang did have his flaws. In states of panic, he tended to act rashly and jump at any sort of plan to protect the people he loved. Katara remembered all too clearly the incident in the desert about losing Appa. Aang had also told her about what happened in Ba Sing Se. He had run away from the Guru he was supposed to be meeting up with just to save her.

While the thought was sweet and perfectly normal for one to care about their friends (and now, as she and Sokka had assured him, family), Aang's quick-decided actions just weren't safe. Katara knew she would have been fine in the crystal caves with Zuko (who was much less of a threat than he used to be, she'd come to realize) for a little bit longer and that Aang's quick decision to abandon his training nearly cost him his life. And although Katara hated to admit it, it really was Aang's fault that the Earth Kingdom had fallen. It pained her to blame her best friend for the destruction of an entire nation, but if he had stayed with the Guru and learned what he should have, he may have stood a better chance against Azula.

Azula! Just thinking about the fire Princess made Katara's blood boil. What was she _thinking_? How could _anyone_ attack the Avatar like that? Attack _anyone_ like that? Katara shot a nasty and significant glance at the Firebender but he didn't seem to be paying the slightest bit of attention. A drop of crimson blood snaked itself out of his eye and slithered down his cheek, leaving a light-red path down his face and dripping on to the ground near his feet where he was determinedly staring. The fabric on his shoulder was already smeared with blood from where he had been periodically wiping his bloody eye.

The Water Tribe girl didn't know where Azula and Zuko had made off to but she didn't care. She felt extremely defensive towards Aang (_a little too defensive_, a sneaky voice whispered in her ear and Katara blushed) and if either of them showed up again… Especially Zuko. He said he had changed and for him to lie like that was pathetic. Predictable, yes, but pathetic all the same. Had he taken their side, they could have easily defeated Azula before the treacherous Dai Li showed up. They had been outnumbered and that's why they had lost.

And what about Iroh? Zuko's uncle had shown up just in time to allow Katara and Aang to escape but what had become of him? He was clearly outnumbered just as they had been but had he managed to escape? Would Zuko have decided to fight him? Either way, Katara hoped he was okay. He was Fire Nation and Zuko's uncle, but he had saved their lives. Twice it seemed, in her case, as Aang had told her.

Which brought the young Waterbender to realize that it wasn't Aang's fault after all. It was Zuko's. Katara wasn't entirely sure if blaming Zuko was accurate, but it was true that they would have won had Zuko made the right choice, like his uncle had. But really, it just felt good to blame Zuko for everything, especially after everything he had done to them on their way to the North Pole.

Katara reached the outskirts of the forest. It was almost pitch-black dark out. Squinting and trying futilely to adjust her eyes to the dim light of the faraway stars that were starting to form in the velvety, dark blue sky, Katara scanned the area; a few trees, some bushes, and particularly hilly footing. Their camp was around here somewhere. Fortunately, she didn't have to search for it.

"KATARA!" A jubilant and wonderfully familiar voice called out and Katara turned just in time to see Aang flying towards her (powered, of course, by Airbending). Just in time, the Firebender stumbled back and out of the way with a bewildered look on his face as the young Avatar slammed himself into Katara, almost knocking the wind out of her.

"Aang!" Katara cried, hugging the Airbender as well. "It's so good to see you!" She pushed herself to say something else to him, something that would comfort him and perhaps explain why she had been gone so long and what had happened to her. She wanted to explain to him that she was fine and that everything was going to be okay. But most importantly, she wanted to tell Aang she loved him. But wait – she didn't love him! Katara felt jostled at having just thought something as ridiculous as loving Aang! They were friends, of course, and very close ones at that; closer than siblings, as a matter of fact. But the thought of actually _loving_ the Avatar didn't feel right.

Yet every time he smiled, Katara found herself laughing and smiling, if possible, even broader. Nobody she had ever met made her as happy as Aang did. Even Sokka, the sarcasm king, wasn't as unbearably funny as Aang. And why did she feel so self-conscious every time she got scuffed up in a fight? Was it really that she felt the need to _impress_ Aang?

Katara felt a sickeningly sweet twang in her stomach. She knew she felt very strongly towards the young monk but was the feeling really… love? Feeling uncomfortably confused and incredibly awkward, Katara shook her head furiously out of her thoughts. No, she would not mention Aang and the "l" word in the same sentence again. Not until she was sure that it was actually true.

Aang's small arms tightened around her waist, she willed herself to forget her worries and enjoy the warmth he brought to her heatless body. Suddenly, Katara felt exhausted. After everything that had happened that day, she wanted nothing more then to curl up in her sleeping bag and go to sleep. Slumping slightly in the Avatar's arms, she forced herself to stay awake. But Aang was so _soft_, she found herself struggling just to keep her eyes open. _Did I just describe Aang as soft?!_ she thought in outrage suddenly, feeling sick with herself. The Waterbender shuddered inwardly and dropped the subject as fast as Appa fell when he went to sleep in flight. Even so, she felt like she could stay there forever, resting peacefully with Aang. At least until a worried and slightly cracked voice drifted over to her.

"Katara! Aang, you found her!" Katara hesitantly broke away and looked up to find Sokka running over with Toph in hot pursuit.

"Sokka!" she cried gleefully, running over to hug her brother. "I'm fine, don't worry!" Toph had stopped right behind Sokka but had not greeted Katara. Instead, she became the first to notice that Katara hadn't arrived alone and turned to face the Fire Nation boy, obviously sensing his vibrations. Her mouth twitched slightly but she didn't say anything.

Katara smiled at her brother and friend with relief and then turned back to Aang, only to see with a jolt that he was crying. "Aang! What's wrong?" she cried, confused and utterly saddened to see her friend like this.

"Katara…" he said weakly, trying to fake a smile but failing horribly. "Where… where'd you go? What happened? You had me – us – so worried."

"Actually, I think Sweetness over here owes us two explanations," Toph interrupted suddenly, still facing the Firebender who looked a little unnerved at being stared at, obviously not realizing the Earthbender was blind. "I'd personally like to know who her little friend over here is."

The boy scowled, clearly insulted at having been referred to as a 'friend' when Katara had dragged him to their camp in the first place and treated him anything but friendly. Sokka looked stunned. Even Aang had managed to wipe his tears away and was staring hard at him.

"Well…" Katara started rather awkwardly. This was certainly going to take a lot of explaining. "I went out to get food for Aang…"

Katara explained what had happened to her while she had been gone. They all listened with rapt attention, none of them speaking. Even the Firebender was silent. He didn't even bother to correct the parts Katara had fudged over a little. When she was finished, she let the story sink in. Sokka was first to break the silence.

"You!" he snarled, marching over to the startled boy and thrusting his machete under his throat. "What were you thinking, attacking my little sister?!" The boy didn't answer; his gray eyes widened with fear as he lifted his chin higher into the air as to avoid having his throat slit. "Where's the nearest Earth Kingdom town?!" Sokka persisted mercilessly, proving his well-known hatred of the Fire Nation. "One that's not taken over by the Fire Nation!"

With the blade at his neck, the boy had to comply. "Down by the mountains up in the north, just past this place," he recited mechanically, chancing a fearful look at the knife that he was almost resting his chin on.

"How far?!" Sokka demanded.

"I dunno, a few miles, I think."

"Toph, is he lying?"

Toph walked closer and put her hand on the grass-deprived ground at the Firebender's feet. "From what I can tell, no," she concluded simply a few moments later, standing back up. "But his breathing is still kind of weird. I don't know why." She said this last part as though it was an afterthought, shrugging her shoulders carelessly, but unable to shrug off the uneasy feeling that he might be hiding something.

"We'll never make it there before nightfall," Sokka said dismally. "What are we going to do?"

"Appa?" Aang asked hopefully.

"Sure Aang, let's take Appa," Sokka retorted sarcastically, his grip on his machete slackening. "We'll have a lot of new 'friends' by morning." Aang looked slightly crestfallen but it was short-lived. For at that moment, the Firebender wrenched his hands out from behind his back and started running, sending a weak but effective wave of fire behind him.

Katara, realizing Sokka was in danger, used the remaining water in her pouch to shield him from the blow but it cost her most of her concentration. Luckily, Toph, who had been paying a little more attention than usual just to be safe, threw her arms out quickly as if to grab something in the air, then clenched her fists and pulled them back in a rapid motion. The result was snagging the Firebender in the newborn crevice she had created, trapping his feet in the earth. Unbalanced, he fell forward and threw out his hands to break the fall, flinching at the painful landing.

The foursome rushed over to him as he tried pointlessly to get his feet out of the ground. Toph and Katara quickly took his arms and pulled him up, Toph freeing his feet as she did so. He struggled with more vigor than he had earlier, but Katara could tell he was still extremely weak.

"How-how did you do that?!" Katara exclaimed, flabbergasted. She took his hand and flipped it over, revealing a severely scorched palm that was traced with blisters and burn marks that were very similar to the ones she had on her own hands. Little did the dumbfounded Water Tribe girl know, the Firebender had been slowly melting the icy restraints the whole time they had been walking.

"You burned yourself just to get free?" Sokka inquired incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What choice did I have?!" the Firebender spat, straining roughly against his captors.

"Well then, if you planned that all along, I bet you knew _this_ was coming!" And with one simple movement, Sokka took out his new, spiked club and smashed the Firebender in the top of the head with its blunt end. Instantly, his eyes clouded up and faded, unfocused, before his eyelids slammed shut and he dropped gracelessly to the ground, unconscious.

"Sokka!" Katara squealed, alarmed.

"Come on, Katara," Sokka replied reasonably. "We can't have him trying to get away all night!"

"So… Katara…" Aang started rather awkwardly, looking up from the unanimated body of the Fire Nation boy to stare into Katara's eyes. "D-did you get me anything to eat?"

Katara slapped her forehead, remembering. "Of course, Aang, I've got – " She stopped dead when she reached into the folds of her clothes and withdrew several burned and inedible nuts and berries, the remains of what would have been a few hours ago a quite tasty meal. "Sorry, Aang… Looks like we'll have to find you something else…"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The garden was beautiful. It was a plethora of flowers, a city of trees, and a kingdom of pleasant smells. Any young child would be enthralled by it. Ashen-colored daisies with copper centers sprang out of the rich, velvety grass and silky, sapphire bluebells wound their ribbon-like petals around small twigs possessively. A rainbow of tulips sprouted in unorganized bundles along the walls of a large and regal-looking house.

A few damp logs served as benches for those brave enough to try them out. Several small puddles crisscrossed the lawn after the recent rain and a fresh, springy smell filled the air. Misty clouds accumulated in the snow-white skies, blocking out the sun but bringing a feeling of peace and tranquility.

A small, brown-haired boy of around five or six years chased after two older boys who looked to be around eight years old. He trailed behind greatly, lacking their stronger legs and coordination but he tried desperately to catch up. The two older boys laughed harshly at his pathetic attempts.

They reached the grand brick gates that served as a portal into the garden and out, and leapt over a monstrous puddle, stopping to watch the younger boy struggle to catch them. The gates were made of two fine, brick pillars and wrought-iron bars over which the tendrils of plants and vines snaked. They were quite ornamental but successfully kept intruders at bay.

"Wait up! That's not fair!" the little boy cried, finally reaching the puddle and choosing to swerve around it instead, panting and out of breath.

One of the boys snickered. "Calm down, Kairo, it's just a game!" he retorted snidely, shooting a comic look to his friend who started to laugh.

"You aren't playing it right!" Kairo snapped, stamping his foot impatiently. "You can't run!"

"Yeah, and you can't Firebend. That's not our problem."

Kairo looked upset and downcast at this comment. "I'm trying! It's really hard!"

"Oh, come on!" the other boy cried, rolling his gold eyes. "I learned Firebending when I was four! It's _so_ easy!"

"Not for me!" he protested, trying not to avoid the older boys' icy glares. "Let's just go back and play. And _no_ running this time!"

"We don't want to play with you anymore," decided the first boy suddenly, raising his eyebrows at Kairo. "If you can't Firebend right, we can't play! It's practically a rule!"

"But I'm trying!" he insisted, starting to look hurt. "Just give me another chance!"

"Didn't you hear me?! I said we can't play!" The second of the two boys stepped forward and aggressively shoved Kairo backwards, sending him sprawling into the puddle. They guffawed obnoxiously and started to walk away as Kairo's eyes filled with tears at having been rejected by the older, much cooler boys.

"I think it's time for you two boys to go home," came a deadly voice from the garden. The two turned to see a tall, dark-haired man with an elaborate topknot striding across the wet grass, his dark gray eyes flashing dangerously.

"Sir, we were just -" one of the boys started but was interrupted.

"Now!" the man barked, his frigid gaze burning holes through them. Having never seen a more intimidating man than this, the two boys weren't at all reluctant to leave the property. Without a backwards glance, the duo raced off, shouting angrily as they did so about having been doing nothing wrong but not bold enough to come forward again to tease Kairo. The man then turned to his son and picked him up out of the mud.

Kairo clung to his father and sniffled quietly, trying desperately to hold back an onslaught tears. "D-daddy, I c-can't do _a-anything_ r-right! E-even you say s-so!"

A conflicted look battled its way across the man's face at these words and he allowed his son to hug him and cry into his shirt without comment. He seemed to be battling within himself about something. "Kairo, you know I don't think that," he said in a voice full of surreptitious sympathy.

"Y-yes you d-do!" the small boy sobbed, lifting his tearstained face up to look into his dad's eyes. "Y-you tell m-me all the t-time."

Again, a troubled look stole across the man's face though he attempted (and succeeded perfectly, being the type of person he was) to conceal it. "You look just like your mother," he said softly, gently wiping the boy's face with his large hand. "Did I ever tell you that?"

Kairo nodded. "Uh-huh. You t-tell me that sometimes. Do I r-really look like her?"

His father nodded. "You do. You have the same hair, although you should grow it out like mine. You have the same nose and the same face. You have my eyes, of course, just a lighter shade, but they're still not quite like your mother's."

"Do y-you miss her a lot, D-daddy?" Kairo asked suddenly.

"I do," the man answered grimly. And Kairo may have been mistaken, but he was sure he saw a small, silver tear drip out of the man's eye and into his clothes where it was quickly smothered. He hugged his father again.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, son," his father replied, then changed the subject abruptly with a somewhat croaky, though distinctly business-like voice. "Now let's go get you cleaned up. I have an important dinner date tonight at our house and I want you looking at least somewhat decent."

A weak, watery sun poked its way out of the thick blanket of clouds as the pair walked up to the house silently, both deep in their own thoughts.

I could only see the blackness straight ahead of me. I didn't bother to open my eyes; I was feeling too weak. Weak from… what was it that had happened? For some reason, my brain couldn't compute anything. Where was I? What time was it? What was going on?

But none of those questions mattered now. All that mattered was my dream. Or memory, more like. That had definitely happened before. Yet it was so faint and fuzzy I could hardly remember it. However, now that I _did_, I was baffled at how I had even forgotten it to begin with.

It was one of the only times my dad had ever shown any affection for me. I couldn't believe I had disregarded such a pleasing memory. It didn't even seem like my father but someone else's, or perhaps a fictional character from a book I read years ago and had utterly forgotten about. In that one memory, he had seemed like the fathers of my friends, not my own. Not only had he stood up for me, he had also said he loved me. Which brought my weary mind to wonder; did he really love me like a son?

My brain ached. I wasn't going to get anywhere now, not in the state I was in. Instead of pursuing the matter, I decided to leave it until morning. It wasn't long before I found myself drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Katara yawned as she was shaken awake roughly by an irritable-looking Sokka. Had she not been so tired, she would have laughed out loud; Sokka had deep, bruise-colored bags under his eyes and his hair was falling out of his 'warrior's wolf tail'. He was a wreck without sleep.

Spotting her somewhat dazed smile, Sokka growled. "It's your turn now!" Katara shrugged and slipped out of her warm sleeping bag and into the cool night, pulling her winter coat over her as she did. She watched with some satisfaction as Sokka flopped lifelessly to the ground in a tired slump. He pulled his sleeping bag over him like a blanket and immediately fell asleep on the hard floor.

Almost laughing, Katara exited the tent and braced herself against the chilly wind that was blowing through their camp relentlessly. How could it be so cold in the summer? Her face hardened slightly as she grabbed her water pouch and faced her more serious task.

The Firebender was right where they had left him, slumped unconscious up against a tree a little ways away from the tents. His arms were covered in goose-bumps and he shivered subconsciously whenever the wind picked up. Katara thought it was a little harsh to leave him outside in the cold like this, but every time she tried to have sympathy, she remembered her mother and instead felt aggression rather than pity. She told herself again that he deserved it.

Katara crouched softly down next to his limp body, fastening her water pouch at her side as she did. Sokka had strictly stated that they had to take turns guarding him just to be safe. Katara disagreed with her brother, wanting a full night of sleep after the events of the day, but she hadn't dared to argue; Sokka was a great big brother, but he got rather defensive on the subject of their mom. Katara knew he only wanted to keep her safe and she respected that.

As she took her place in the grass, yawning and rubbing her eyes, Katara realized the boy still had the irregular breathing pattern that Toph had mentioned earlier. At first, she thought it was the aftermath of her attack but realized that even an insensate technique like Bending the water in one's body wouldn't last for so long. They hadn't tied him that tightly, either. He only had his hands tied behind the tree and a meager layer of rope around his chest. They had bound his ankles too, but that wouldn't be affecting his breathing.

Puzzled and determined to find a cause for this strange phenomenon, Katara scanned his thin body, her crystal-clear eyes like a sweeping search light. She saw the collection of bruises he harbored on his face and arms and the cut she had given him on the eye. Nothing fatal or seriously distorting. Lowering her gaze, she noticed the gash on his side she had been so worried she had given him earlier. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but Katara noticed that it was significantly close to his ribcage.

Without thinking, Katara slowly outstretched her arm towards the wound. If only she could heal it… Then they'd be able to tell for certain that he was telling the truth. But just as her fingers brushed lightly against the torn skin, the boy jerked forward, restrained by the rope but now fully awake, looking frantically around, his eyes bulging.

Unaware of her presence, he tried to get up clumsily before realizing he couldn't move. His cut eye twitched and he stared blankly at his knees in disarray. His eyes were red and lined with dark shadows, very much reflecting the eyes of Katara, who had drawn away as quickly as she would if she had been burned.

"What-what's going on?" he muttered more to himself than anyone, his voice shaky and fearful. Turning his head sharply, he noticed Katara and his eyes widened. He regarded her for a few moments before he narrowed his eyes. "You… what did you do to me now?"

"It's not what _I _did," Katara whispered snappishly, feeling rather defensive. "You did this to yourself!"

"I've got an awful headache," he groaned, ignoring Katara. He drew his knees up to his chest and heaved a huge sigh. "I'm going to be in so much trouble…"

"In trouble with who?" Katara asked out of curiosity before she could stop herself.

"You don't understand!" the boy cried out suddenly, his voice hardening with anger and fear. "You have to let me go right now!"

"No," Katara stated firmly, once again questioning his sanity.

"He's going to hurt me or-or…" the Firebender trailed off impotently, his eyes glazed over with pain.

Katara's already frazzled mind seemed to blow out. _What_ in the spirits' names was he talking about? She suddenly caught sight of his scraped side from the corner of her eye. Glancing quickly around to confirm that they were solely alone, Katara slowly reached out again.

The boy's eyes followed her hand down to his cut and he shot her an inquiring look. "What are you doing?"

"You-well…" Katara started awkwardly, not withdrawing her hand quite yet. "I think I can heal that for you."

He glowered at her and he tried to pull away unsuccessfully. "I don't need _your_ help!" he snapped haughtily, although he winced when he pulled away from her hand.

"Well fine!" Katara seethed, her cheeks turning bright pink at having been rejected. She was silently glad that it was so dark out so he couldn't see her embarrassment. "Maybe it'll get infected and _then_ you'll want my help!"

"Fine!" The two sat in silence for several minutes, Katara feeling stupid for having offered to help. He was a Firebender! Why would he want _her_ help? However, after only a few minutes of agonizing silence, the boy spoke again, this time sheepishly rather than coldly.

"Actually… do you think you can heal this?"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

I subconsciously inhaled the overpowering scent of the fresh, wet grass that poked at my bare forearms as I lay flat on my stomach in the cold night. An arctic gale whistled through the clearing and I marveled at the fact I hadn't worn something warmer. Then I realized it had been this very afternoon that I had been complaining about the intense heat. How could it go from being boiling hot out to _so_ cold in one day?

Directly in front of me, over the tops of the few trees that still thrived in the area, an organized array of mountains rose eerily into the dusky sky, their jagged tops cutting through the thin layer of misty, obscure clouds. The luminous, nearly-full moon, covered mostly by cloudy fluff, littered the mountains with small, insignificant sparks of light, giving them a shadowed, creepy look that was nothing compared to the haunted look on my face.

How could one seemingly normal day be turning into such a mess? I was scared senseless but impervious to showing it. Not around _her_. What was General Zhong going to think when I didn't show up? Would he go looking for me? What would he do when I came back? _If I come back_, I reminded myself unhelpfully, feeling all the more anxious. He wouldn't _kill_ me would he? Overcome with fear, I exhaled rapidly and tried helplessly to bury the thought, bringing myself back to the cold reality of it all.

The Waterbender, whose name I'd learned was Katara, had compassionately adjusted my bonds so that I could lie comfortably on my stomach while she attempted to heal my cut. The cut I had apparently gotten from the attack earlier in the afternoon. It was a strange-looking injury to be honest. It closely resembled a broad, half-moon shape. How that rock could have gotten all the way through my armor enough to cut me like that was still a mystery to me.

I drew in a sharp breath as Katara gently brushed my shirt up so that it was no longer covering the gash. I couldn't believe I was actually letting her help me. I desperately just wanted to "tough it out", as General Zhong would have said, but when I had woken up from my forced sleep, it had started stinging painfully. Besides, what if Katara was right and it _did_ get infected?

So I had grudgingly accepted her help. She had made me swear to her that I wouldn't Firebend or try to escape in any shape, figure, or form, and I had promptly agreed, feeling utterly stiff and sore from leaning up against a tree for seemingly hours. Not like I could do either anyway; I was so tired and battered up that I struggled just to keep my eyes open. Besides, I was already working on another plan of escape.

"Calm down," Katara said in response to my gasp of pain. "This isn't going to hurt."

"This is the worst day of my life," I replied angrily, shuddering as another cool breeze blew in. "And probably the last, too," I added snidely.

"Are you going to start this again?" she asked, a hint of rage in her voice. I didn't answer. I was already veering off my plan of action.

"Sorry," I mumbled finally even though I wasn't sure I was.

"Me too," she said so quickly and suddenly that I jerked my head around to look her in the eyes.

"Huh?"

"I said I'm sorry! About… what I did earlier. It was… well, really out of character of me."

It took me a moment to realize she was talking about the whole Bending-the-water-in-my-body thing. "Oh." That was all I could say. I wasn't going to tell her I was okay because I wasn't; I still felt exceedingly weak and peaky. But the fact remained that she hadn't intentionally tried to hurt me which made me feel a little more comfortable in her presence. I turned back around and stared at the grass again.

"It's just… you're a Firebender and I'm a Waterbender," Katara continued, gaining confidence in her voice. "We're from two completely different nations. And I've dealt with the Fire Nation before. They're usually not all that friendly."

"I know what you mean," I said truthfully. "My great-grandfather told me he had friends in the Water Tribe at one point in his life. That was before the war, of course. But when the war started, they just sort of… turned on each other."

"I'm so sick of the war," Katara said sadly, and a moment later, I felt a pleasantly cool and soothing sensation on my side where I knew my wound was. Katara gently moved her hands back and forth over it and I felt the pain lessen considerably.

"You think you're the only one?"

Katara seemed startled by this statement. "What?"

I turned and smirked acidly at her. "You think I enjoy being a stupid soldier?" I asked softly in a vitriolic voice. "You think I like killing people and addressing a fat, hairy oaf as 'sir'? Believe me, if my father hadn't drafted me, I would be doing something better with my life."

Katara stifled a laugh but still looked quite surprised. "But don't you want to help your nation win the war? Isn't that what all of us want?"

"To tell you the truth, I couldn't care less who wins the war," I answered dryly, resting my chin between my tied hands. "Fire Nation, or you guys, I don't even care anymore. It's lasted way too long. _Why_ Fire Lord Sozin started the war to begin with gets past me. Stupid idea, really"

"But… but!" Katara seemed beyond shocked as she struggled to find her voice. But why should she? Hadn't she ever heard a Firebender talk ill about the war? It shouldn't be so mind-boggling to hear that someone from the Fire Nation didn't like the war.

"Why is that so shocking to you?" I asked bitterly, voicing my opinion aloud. "Do you know how many friends of mine have been killed in this war?"

"Well, no…" she admitted. "I never really thought about the Fire Nation casualties."

"But Fire Lord Ozai doesn't seem to get it. If I were in his place, I would've stopped the war a long time ago."

"I would too, if it were in my power," Katara said thoughtfully. She had finished healing my wound a long time ago.

"Then I guess it's just us kids who have our nations' best interests at heart, huh?" I asked wryly.

"I…" She hesitated for a moment before flashing me a quick, diminished smile. "I guess it is." She looked up at the sky quickly before turning back to me. "It's late out…"

"Yeah…" I agreed, feeling completely and utterly drained.

"Good night," she said without thinking. She suddenly realized who she was talking to and smiled slightly.

"You too," I said, shooting her a coy smile.

"You know… You're not so different after all," Katara said shyly, rubbing her eyes as she started to slouch.

"Neither are you."

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And that concludes chapter four! Once again, I'm sorry about the long wait for any of you who may be reading. Also, I made a note on a forum about this, but I'd like to restate it here. These few chapters are going to be a little hard on Katara's character until she can settle down a little. I hope she doesn't seem OOC, and if she does, just know that I'm working more on her character and personality and it should definitely improve in the next few chapters now that we've got most of the nasty stuff out of the way. Anyways, read and review, it means a lot to me!

**Next Chapter:** Katara teams up with a certain someone (I think we all know who) to fight someone… or something. Also, Kairo makes a shocking decision.


	5. A Lonely Walk

Okay, when I said I would take a long time to update, I really didn't mean to take this long. I've just been really busy with finals coming up and all that stuff. Plus, I've gotten into making fan videos. I can really only write on the weekends and I don't like to spend a lot of time on the computer. This chapter was originally going to be MUCH longer but I decided to split it due to time restraints. So everything I said that would happen in this chapter will actually happen next chapter. I'm not really proud of this chapter since I had to rush to get it done. But here's chapter five anyway.

Also, thanks to LiveInThaskyE for pointing out that "loosing" is, in fact, not a word.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar; the Last Airbender" or anything related to it.

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I woke up the next morning a complete and utter mess with my head tucked between my arms and my nose literally in the dirt. The dehydrated tip of a pale-yellow blade of grass poked mockingly at my face, enjoying my despair, and slowly I resigned myself to opening my eyes. I stared at the raw, sienna mud before me with little interest and finally raised my head with painstaking effort. A blunt ache squeezed up and down my neck with thick, oppressive fingers and I dropped my head back on to my cut and bruised arm, too jaded to move. Realizing I was almost at eye-level with a fat, black beetle that was marching proudly over the mountainous terrain like a soldier marching into battle (I scoffed at the comparison), I reeled back in disgust, cringing as I triggered a pain that felt as though I had pulled every single muscle in my body. The joints shrieked under a sharp, rhythmic throb that pounded torturously at the crown of my head.

Deep, bruise-colored circles lined my scarlet-tinged eyes and my eyelids hung heavy under the intense gaze of the cloudy sun. No matter how many times I closed my eyes, I could only see bloody, red patches caused by the sun's light. Feeling trapped and panicked, I kept my eyes open and stared blankly into nothingness, devoid of everything pleasant.

Taking a good look at myself, I was dismayed to see I looked a mess as well. My clothes were ripped and torn beyond recognition and heavily spattered with dried blood and dirt. Strips of mutilated fabric and chintzy, split threads hung from the sleeves, just barely concealing my pale, severed arms, which were coated with blood and muck. A few bloodstained rocks nearby announced my failed attempt at having tried to cut myself free the previous night. I had only succeeded in impaling my wrists and forearms until I looked like a half-dead corpse. I whimpered upon seeing the massive amount of blood I'd lost and subconsciously decided against another escape attempt.

Feeling stiff and sore, I carefully rolled on to my back but finding that even less comfortable, I wriggled on to my side. The first thing I saw was Katara collapsed under a tree, sound asleep. Her chest rose and fell gently like she had not a care in the world. I felt a tiny twinge of jealousy; I had been tortured with horrible nightmares all night. Her tan hand was draped idly over her water pouch which was nearly empty. A small stream of water crawled slowly out of the opening at the to

p and I felt a strong, burning pain in my chest at the sight; I hadn't had anything to drink since the previous morning. My throat was so dry that I kept coughing weakly. For the second time in two days, I felt like throwing-up although there was nothing in my stomach _to_ throw-up.

I shot Katara the filthiest look I could manage even though I knew she couldn't see it. _What_ had I done to deserve this? _I'll get my revenge, just you wait_, I threatened her mentally, scowling at her relaxed figure. _You'll _pay_ for treating me like this! Once my father finds out, you'll be one sorry little Waterbender!_

However, as much as Katara was to blame, I couldn't help but berate myself for my stupidity. _What's wrong with me?_ I snarled to myself. _Why couldn't I have just been normal for once and taken her with me? She was pathetically weak and I let her take the offensive! Had I been smarter, _she_ would be in my position! And serves her right, too!_

Taking a deep, staggered breath, I tried to calm down. I had already lowered my self-esteem to an unhealthily low point. _Lucky I'm tied up or I might do something I'll regret_, I thought angrily, squirming back on to my stomach and closing my eyes. _Just let me wake up from this horrible nightmare now… Please…_

Something soft and thin fluttered on to my nose and I started, my eyes snapping open. A blur of pastel pink hung at the corners of my eyes. I slowly raised my hands with some difficulty and brushed the object into the palm of my right hand.

It was a small, fragile petal, only an inch or so wide, with a creamy pink face. It was strange that something as normal as a petal falling could happen while I was so miserable. I craned my neck and glimpsed something close in color to the petal. Propping myself up on my elbows, I turned to stare at the tree.

Its limbs were weighted down with the same pink, budding flower that I now clutched in my hands. Another tiny petal broke off as a gentle breeze ruffled its counterpart and sailed gracefully to the ground. The disgruntled leaves shuddered and twitched in the wind but held firmly to their branches. Even in the cloudy morning, the petals seemed to sparkle cheerfully.

My arms trembled with the feat of sustaining my weight and reluctantly, I lowered myself back on to the ground. _What's wrong with me? Before I met _her_ I was strong. Now I can't even hold myself up. Pathetic and helpless, that's what I am now._ Katara hadn't only weakened me physically, but emotionally as well. She'd taken away the will to live.

I pressed the flower between my palms, enjoying the oily, silky texture that soothed my hands. For some reason, I found the flower comforting. It was almost like a sense of normalcy had returned. I was close to death in so many ways, surrounded by my nation's worst enemies, yet somehow, one thing was normal. I inhaled slowly, then exhaled and closed my eyes. If I just ignored the ceaseless stinging of my injuries and discomfort of rope burn, I could almost picture myself back at camp.

I picked up the petal with my left hand and squeezed it between my thumb and forefinger without opening my eyes. It was the softest thing I'd touched in a long time. And suddenly, the dark fate ahead of me seemed just a little brighter.

Hope had returned.

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"Sokka, I'll be fine by myself!" Katara shot an anxious glance at her brother, waiting with bated breath for his response to this. She hadn't expected this to be so much trouble. But she had promised _him_ that she would do it. Katara didn't know why she had even agreed to help him. He had taken her by surprise, that was all, and she had felt a strange urge to obey. But even so, there was something about him that was just so commanding. Katara shuddered.

Sokka arched one of his eyebrows and the Waterbender frowned. Why couldn't he be a little less protective for once? Katara loved Sokka dearly, but his over-protectiveness sometimes got on her nerves. She wasn't a baby after all.

"Really!" she assured him again, "We can't _all_ go! Don't you know how dangerous that would be for Aang?" Upon mentioning her friend, Katara groaned quietly and turned to face the Avatar.

He was lying motionless on Appa's downy tail, his trembling hands clutching thick tufts of fur unknowingly as though trying to keep himself from falling into the cloudy abyss above. His usually serene, gray eyes were now somewhat glazed over like Toph's, blank and unfocused. Hearing Katara and slowly registering the fact that she was talking about him, he turned his head with torturous effort and smiled bluntly. His cheek muscles worked frantically to maintain the smile, which was more of a strained grimace than anything. His smile faltered.

Katara left Sokka, brushing past Toph who was sitting glumly with her cheek on her palm, toying with a clod of earth that greatly interested Momo (the lemur prated excitedly as he tried to knock the rock out of the air). The Waterbender approached Appa rather shyly, feeling a pleasant tickle in her stomach. The feeling grew until it turned to fear, suffocating her. Eagerly shaking it off, Katara kneeled beside Aang and slid her hand on to his forehead. He felt warm despite the frosty temperature of the air around them. She sighed.

Aang seemed to be getting worse and worse as the minutes ticked away. His light gray eyes were bloodshot and ringed with thick, purple strips, now deep-set in his pale face. His smile had disappeared completely into his hollow, sunken cheeks and he struggled to bring it back, his eyes expressing terrible pain.

"Aang, don't!" Katara exclaimed, frightened that his mouth might sink into his face and never come back. "Just relax. Please, for me. I'm so sorry I did this to you! Please, Aang!"

A painful lump swelled in her throat as she blinked back tears. Lately, she'd been prone to crying, especially around Aang. She didn't know why, but something about him depressed her. He was still the same, loveable Airbender that she had met months ago at the South Pole. But now he seemed different; older, more mature. Katara liked the new Aang but there seemed to be something wistful about him now. He wasn't as free-spirited. He was more like a bird in a cage than a bird with wind under its wings. Whatever it was made Katara upset. She yearned for him to happy again.

"K-Katar-Katara… I-I'm… I'm…" Aang gave a defeated groan and stopped mid-sentence, lacking the strength to continue.

The lump in her throat blossomed, choking her. Katara swallowed hard and tears started to leak out of her fearful, sapphire eyes.

"K-Katara!" Katara looked up to see Aang staring at her wide-eyed. He looked terrified.

"Aang… Oh, Aang!" Katara cried, her voice trembling. Slowly, the young Avatar reached out and touched her cheek. Katara realized with a jolt that she was crying. She felt her cheeks burn as Aang carefully wiped away her tears with his soft hand. Katara could tell it took him all his strength and she started crying harder.

"K-Katara… Do-don't cry…" Aang pleaded, his voice raspy and brittle.

"Katara, don't worry," Sokka said quietly, worried and touched by his sister's reaction to Aang's sickness. "Aang will be fine."

"It's all my fault!" Katara whispered, trying to stem another flow of tears into her sleeve; it was soon damp. She picked up Aang's limp hand and wiped the rest of the moisture off her own face with it, enjoying the gentle tickle his palm brought to her cold face. For some reason, this gave Katara a feeling of accomplishment that she couldn't quite describe. "If I hadn't fed you those berries… I should have _known_ they were poisonous! Oh Aang, please forgive me!"

It had been her fault, too. Since she had let his food get destroyed, she had to settle for what they had around. The berries had looked pretty safe and she had picked them for him. She knew she was to blame and felt slightly sick with anger every time Aang tried to deny it.

"F-fine…" Aang stammered, his voice faint and distant. To reassure the Waterbender, he gave her a weak smile. Even small and weak, his smile shone like the sun through the clouds. Katara got to her feet, feeling a little embarrassed about Aang touching her face. _We're just friends_, Katara reminded herself. It startled her that she needed to be reminded of such things.

Aang shivered again and tugged on Appa's fur absently. The bison groaned agitatedly. Katara ambled over to her sleeping bag and withdrew the thick, moss-green blanket, caressing the fabric between her fingers as she brought it over to Aang.

Katara draped it over his frail body. It was so large that she had to double it over. With a motherly tenderness, she began to tuck it around his raw body. She wrapped the bottom around his bare feet and folded it neatly underneath his legs. She worked her way up his thin body, gently nudging the covers around him as though he were a fragile, glass doll that needed to be tended to. She made sure no crevice was left open and that the air was unable to work its way in. Finally, she snuggled it up under his chin, folding it delicately over his shoulders.

Katara didn't know what made her do it, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn't her free will. She leaned in closer to Aang. Their heads were only inches from each other. Katara saw herself as if watching from outside her body. The Katara copy she was watching pressed her lips up against Aang's tattooed forehead. Wordlessly, the copy moved her head back, squeezing her hands in a tight ball before her.

The force of Katara reconnecting with her body was like that of being crushed by a boulder going downhill. Four pairs of eyes drilled into her from all angles; even the Fire Nation boy was staring at her with the same, if not, more, magnitude as the others. She could just see his keen, gray eyes scissoring her back.

Katara straightened herself as the heat crept to her face. Or maybe that was the color draining from her skin; she couldn't tell. Either way, she didn't care. She was too distracted by the horror of what she had done. She didn't notice that Aang's cheeks lit up like a wild fire.

Panic swept through Katara's numb body. _What did I just do?_ she squealed in her head, her eyes widening. She hardly _ever_ kissed Aang! Why was she suddenly leaning over and kissing him like it was nothing? She had kissed him before. Twice, as a matter of fact. But those had been carelessly passed out; friendship kisses. She wanted to believe this time had been a friendship kiss as well. But for some reason, she couldn't. Instead, her mind drifted back to the only other time she had kissed Aang. In the Cave of Two Lovers… It had been a totally different kiss then.

_It's force of habit_, Katara realized. She had sometimes helped her grandmother tuck in the younger kids at the South Pole. She always wrapped them in blankets and finished with a kiss. That was why she had done it. Feeling only slightly relieved, Katara backed away, eager to get away from the Airbender. _It's force of habit, I know it!_ she growled aggressively inside her own head. But she didn't know who she was trying to kid.

"Anyway, Katara, why are you so keen to get away from us all?" Sokka's passive voice broke through Katara's imaginary barrier, bringing her back to the cold reality of it all. He seemed unsurprised at her behavior towards Aang.

Katara hurried over to him, still breathing fast. _Keep a level-head, Katara_, she instructed herself, cheeks burning uncomfortably. Now she really wanted to get away from them all, especially Aang. "Um, well… Aang's still hurt," she fabricated lamely. Her mouth moved though she had nothing to say. She had nothing she _could_ say. Her mind had stopped working the instant she had come back to her senses. Her heart raced. She felt herself starting to sweat and tugged at her collar uncomfortably.

Sokka suddenly started avoiding her eyes. He seemed strangely uncomfortable. Was it her uncertain tone? Her unusual discomfort? Could he tell? How obvious had she been? _Obvious at what? _Katara growled inside her head. There was nothing she was hiding. Nothing.

Even the Fire Nation boy was staring at her with conspicuous interest. His facial expressions registered half curiosity and half realization. _What an odd combination_, Katara thought, starting to feel nervous and jittery. She glared into his smoke-gray eyes defensively and he quickly ducked down, feigning interest in something small and slimy on the ground. His act was unconvincing; he looked repelled by whatever the thing on the ground was.

"Katara, I told you," Sokka mumbled, fidgeting with the machete in his belt. Again, Katara questioned his sudden nervousness. "Toph can look after Aang. We can both go."

The Firebender looked up and shot Katara a warning glance, suddenly uninterested in the thing he had been looking at (Katara had deciphered it as a worm; he had drawn back from it as much as possible, proving Katara's earlier hypothesis correct). He raised his hand steadily to his throat and slid his index finger slowly across. They had untied him out of mere pity to let him stretch before leaving but they had still made Toph strap his feet down with bands of earth. Katara glowered at him in response and he withered under her gaze. She was too flustered to do much else and tried desperately to think up a good reason for Sokka to let her go alone.

Fortunately, that reason came in the voice of Toph who had, until that very moment, been sitting quietly by herself with a very irritated-looking Momo (who was still trying to catch the rock Toph had). "Sokka!" she cried. "What if something happens to Aang that _requires eyes_?" She said the last part rather bitterly as though she doubted it. "And I can't fly Appa! I can't see on him, you know that! Who would get Twinkletoes to help?" Katara suddenly felt a rush of affection for the young Earthbender. She didn't, however, know that Toph's reasons for wanting Sokka to stay were entirely her own.

"Well then Katara can stay and I'll go alone." Katara groaned inwardly. She _hated_ his persistence! The Firebender made a noise in his throat that only Katara caught.

"NO!" she and Toph cried at the same time and Sokka jumped. He seemed extremely confused at their stubbornness. Katara knew Toph now wasn't only trying to help her but she didn't have time to fathom the depths of her friend's motives.

"Look, I can handle this on my own!" Katara said rather snappishly, feeling feverish from the debate. She marched over to the Fire Nation boy who looked up, startled and quite afraid. She aggressively grabbed a fistful of his collar and yanked him up.

The boy let out a strangled yelp like an animal as he staggered to his feet. "I can't take any more of this abuse!" he cried before he could stop himself, sounding close to tears. "I'm a person too, you know!"

Katara suddenly felt horrible. She was so panicky over what had happened with Aang that she had vented her anxiety into the Firebender. She didn't like him, but she knew he hadn't deserved that, especially in the condition he was in. A long scrape he had that almost went around the length of his neck leered at her.

Toph snapped her fingers and the stone holding the Firebender's feet slid into the ground. Sokka, unperturbed, handed Katara a length of rope and the Firebender shuddered when he saw it. He hung his head shamefully. His thick bangs concealed his eyes but Katara could tell he was trying not to cry. She didn't point this out to anyone; after all he'd been through, he deserved his secrecy.

Feeling sympathetic, Katara bent his arms so that his elbows were sticking out at a narrower angle and his hands were layered one on top of the other, which proved to be much more comfortable.

"I still don't know why you're so persistent to go alone, Katara," Sokka said angrily, holding the Fire Nation boy's arms in place.

"I already told you!" Katara retorted as she wound the rope tightly around his wrists. The Firebender hardly struggled, though his breathing suggested he was exhausted. "What if something bad happens to Aang? I mean, you _are_ smarter than me, Sokka, so it makes sense that you should stay behind and watch him."

Apparently, Sokka didn't notice her bittersweet tone and he puffed out his chest impressively. "Well, there was that _one_ time when I treated you after you fell through the ice _and_ I went and got help. I was soaking wet and freezing but I couldn't abandon you. I guess you're right."

Katara rolled her eyes but a tiny voice in her head screamed, _yes!_ She'd gotten the most stubborn person on the face of the planet to surrender to her. And it was all because of his big ego.

When Katara finished, Sokka didn't seem satisfied with her work and tied the rope several more times, tightening it until the Fire Nation boy's eyes watered. He looked livid at this display and finally snapped, "I'm a fourteen-year old kid, not a three-hundred pound mass murderer!"

Katara had to hold back laughter as Sokka's eyes narrowed in disgust. _I never noticed he was so comic_, Katara found herself thinking.

"I see no difference between a three-hundred pound mass murderer and someone from the Fire Nation," Sokka sneered and the boy lunged at him. Katara easily held him back and he panted with the effort, still incredibly weak. He continued the battle verbally.

"Just because I'm from the Fire Nation doesn't give you permission to treat me like dirt!" he spat, his eyes wide with rage and burning with the familiar fire Katara had seen while fighting him the other day.

"I treat dirt better than they treat you!" Toph piped up suddenly, her voice full of amusement. Then she laughed at her own joke. Katara noticed that she had said, 'they' rather than, 'we'; Toph seemed to have taken a neutral side in the whole ordeal.

Smiling slightly, Katara braced herself for the second hundred-year war that was to take place.

It wasn't until they were so far away from the camp that it had faded into the mist that enveloped them that either Bender talked. Katara thought she would feel better away from the others but instead, she felt worse. An awkward silence hung as heavy as the fog between the two teenagers. Neither of them was willing to talk. Katara was relieved yet somewhat shaken when the boy finally broke the silence.

"Thanks for your help!" he said in a voice that sounded as though he had nothing to be thankful for.

"Oh, er, yeah," Katara answered uncomfortably. She knew he was talking about getting rid of Sokka; it was the only thing she had 'helped' him with. Earlier that morning, he had actually asked her quite politely to leave Sokka behind, startling Katara so much that she had quickly agreed. But she also didn't want him to tell Sokka that she had fallen asleep while guarding him; he had hinted at it.

Realizing she was supposed to be going somewhere rather than wandering aimlessly around, Katara withdrew a map from the folds of her clothes; at least it gave her something to do. Sokka had reluctantly given the map to her after she irritably convinced him she would be fine alone. To her dismay and immense frustration, Katara realized she didn't know which way the little piece of brown parchment was supposed to go. Her mood had drastically changed since her cheerful demeanor that morning. She was now the very reflection of the dusky sky; cold, moody, and dangerous.

After flipping the map around several times and tilting it in an extreme amount of angles, Katara realized with a feeling of dread and annoyance that she couldn't figure out which way it went, let alone read it. She didn't even bother asking the Firebender; he seemed too distraught to even look where he was going. An old cut had reopened on his pale face and was dripping blood down his cheek. He didn't seem to notice, and if he did, there was nothing he could do about it.

Katara hadn't noticed before, but now that they were completely alone, she realized the Fire Nation boy was walking slowly and gingerly, limping even, as though every step cost him all his strength. His eye was red and puffy from where Katara had hit him the other day and whenever a particularly fierce gust of wind blew by, he would close that one eye as though the wind burned it. His hands were blistered from when he had burned his own skin to try and get away from her. She remembered the bruises he had (there was still a rather large one above his eye) and how Sokka had clubbed him in the head, neither of which eased her guilt. She also remembered her vicious attack on him and anxiously felt the need to say something to him.

"H-how're you feeling?" she asked suddenly, checking her map but not actually seeing it.

"What?" he stopped walking and turned around, confused. Katara had to notice how his eyes widened with puzzlement as Aang's so often did.

"Well you just looked… I don't know, a little sick."

He rolled his eyes (something Aang never did, Katara noted) but seemed to bite back a sarcastic comment and answered her truthfully. "Just a little dizzy, I guess."

"Oh." Katara felt a little better; he didn't sound too gloomy about it. Or maybe that was just how he usually spoke. His eyes were still hollow and empty.

Katara suddenly realized that she didn't know his name. At first, it hadn't seemed important. She was the captor and he was the captive; they weren't on a first name speaking basis. But now that they were on at least slightly friendly terms, Katara realized she could only address him as 'you' or 'him'.

"I-I don't think I caught your name," she said tentatively, not wanting to provoke a reaction. She hated herself for even starting the conversation; why did she care how he was?

"It's Kairo," the boy said without hesitation. "If you want to use that against me, go ahead. I don't care anymore"

If Katara had expected any reply it all, it wasn't anything like what she was getting. She had half expected him to ignore her, or even tell her to be quiet. But she hadn't expected him to actually tell her his name (if he wasn't lying) and then go on to say that she could use it against him. The abruptness of his response was startling; it was like he had been expecting the question.

But the fact remained that he (Kairo, as he called himself) had given her his name. Just that simple act seemed to make him more human. For some reason, Katara couldn't accept him having a name. He was just some random Fire Nation soldier who had been after the Avatar. He wasn't supposed to have a name.

Yet as Katara thought about it, every single Fire Nation soldier she had ever fought had a name and identity just like Kairo. Each one was a unique individual with a life and family. But it was hard to believe. It was hard to believe a Firebender had actual human emotion like Katara and her friends. But as she had experienced for the past two days, her first assumption was proven incorrect. Kairo had demonstrated emotion and humanity and actually proved to be quite normal.

"No, no, I was just wondering," Katara said finally in response to his last statement, feeling a little sorry for him for having made him think so low. Then she went silent, deep in thought.

The barren plains that surrounded them seemed endless. Wispy gray and brown plants leapt up from the ground whenever a passing gale swirled by, creating a rustling, rhythmic tune that sounded like a thousand ghosts were whispering at the same time. The pale-silver skies darkened with every minute that passed and the tumbling clouds drew threateningly close to one another. Katara, having finally sorted out her map dilemma (she had had it in the right direction the whole time, she was displeased to discover), was now following a faded, dotted, black line that she was pretty sure (though not positive) led straight to the Earth Kingdom town of Minori, the town Kairo had pointed out the other day.

The wind had picked up considerably since the cool morning and even more so from the other day. Katara was glad she had brought her winter coat but once again, Kairo was freezing to death. Probably even more now; his clothes were ripped and torn even more than the previous day. Katara slunk closer to him without attracting attention to herself. She kept her hand curled protectively around his upper arm. To anyone but her, it looked as though she were merely guiding him. But Katara held his arm and pulled him closer to her to keep him warm; she still felt bad about hurting him earlier.

After seemingly hours of walking, Katara began to see forms of life other than the dull weeds that snagged her clothes and wrapped around her ankles. Dark shapes sprouted out of the hazy screen of mist that Katara could only describe as trees. Before she knew it, she was surrounded on all sides by arbors and bushes; the forest seemed to have snuck up on her and taken her by surprise.

It wasn't long after that Katara noticed the thing that would complete her misery. Something tiny but as hard as a rock struck her directly on the forehead. Katara looked up only to be met with a drop of cold rainwater which slammed against her nose. She sighed. She didn't really dislike the rain, but they still had a long trip and what if they got washed out? What if a thunder storm brewed up? Katara didn't like the thought.

The pair walked silently through the forest and the rain continued harder than ever. By the time the lake came into view, both were dripping wet. Katara's hair was escaping her braid and sticking out at odd angles while Kairo struggled to see through his hair, which was hanging straightened in front of his dark-gray eyes. Somehow, they managed to stumble down through the trees to the shore of the enormous lake.

The lake occupied a vast space in the heart of the forest. As the trees thinned and parted, the two were able to make their way down the pine needle enriched slope, stumbling blindly over the sodden roots (sometimes cleverly concealed by dead levees) and stare entranced at the rain-splattered water. Under the shadows of the omniscient trees and the glare of the moody, onyx clouds overhead, the lake looked mystical and uninviting, reminding Katara horribly of Lake Laogai. The clear, gray water leapt up in tiny particles whenever a dot of silver rain dropped into it and gentle waves disturbed the placid surface, rippling outwards and nudging the muddy shoreline with an unearthly trickling sound. An eerie gust stampeded by, causing the trees to groan and creak threateningly, shedding leaves and pollen on to the lake's glassy surface.

Squinting through the heavy layer of silver mist that sifted restlessly across the horizon, Katara managed to make out a faraway town on the water's edge. A jumbled mass of seaside-styled buildings linked by cobbled roadways and a few small, classic-looking ports made up the town. Just from looking, Katara could tell it was Minori. It was a decent-looking town and quite festive. To Katara's dismay, however, it looked like she would have to walk for another hour or so to reach it on the other side of the lake.

"So that's it, then," Kairo muttered despairingly, jolting Katara out of her revere; she hadn't noticed he had been staring over her shoulder. "Where they're going to lock me up for the rest of this stupid war. Hope you're happy with yourself."

"Stop complaining!" Katara retorted peevishly, feeling her temper rise again. She was glad to finally get rid of the peculiar Fire Nation boy and finally have a clear conscious. She didn't know why, but his grim presence and snarky personality made her extremely uncomfortable. She didn't hate him, but she had confusing mixed feelings for him. Part of her really liked him (she hated to admit it) but the other part was completely annoyed with him.

Kairo winced and Katara grabbed his arm, not bothering to keep her nails out of his skin. She pulled him through the thick cloves of trees, trying not to slip on the masses of pine needles under her feet. She just wanted to get to the town before –

"Stop it!" Katara snapped suddenly, whirling around angrily to glare at the Firebender. "That's not funny!"

"Stop what? What am I doing?" Kairo asked bemusedly, his voice devoid of interest.

"Stop making that noise!"

He laughed coldly. "I'm not making any more noise than you are, you know. It's kind of hard to keep balanced with your arms behind your back."

"Not _that_ noise!" Katara responded, now thoroughly overwhelmed. "That rustling noise."

"That's impossible! Look, I can hardly even move." To prove himself, Kairo turned at a wide enough angle for Katara to see that his wrists were still bound securely behind his back. A smug look overcame his grim features and he flashed her a snide 'you-can't-blame-me-for-anything-now-because-it's-your-fault-for-tying-me-so-tightly' smile.

"Then… Then who…" Katara's voice wavered and Kairo suddenly frowned, taking in the seriousness of the situation. He seemed to have realized that whatever happened to Katara happened to himself as well. "Who's making that – "

Katara was cut off mid-sentence. A sharp cracking of twigs and muffled snuffling sound met her ears. Both Benders froze, transfixed at a sight not too far away. A few leaves jiggled on their stems but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

"What do you think that- mmph!" Kairo was cut off abruptly as Katara slammed her hand over his mouth, her eyes wide. The disgruntled Firebender struggled to get away from her but Katara wound her free arm around his waist and dragged him backwards. She thanked the spirits that he was so light or she wouldn't have been able to take the necessary fifteen paces back from the spot in the bushes that had quivered.

"Shh! Be quiet!" Katara hissed in his ear. "Please!" she added as he continued to struggle, and he resignedly went limp in her arms. She kept her hand planted firmly over his mouth, however. "I saw the bushes move," Katara explained in a whisper as she continued to help him back. Kairo tried to say something but Katara pressed her hand tighter against his face.

Katara retreated behind a close-growing trio of trees and finally let Kairo go. He was glaring at her, but then, when wasn't he? A loud crackling of branches startled the duo and they both backed against the cluster of trees. Between the dense branches, Katara glimpsed an enormous, hulking presence and gasped. Now it was Kairo's turn to react and he kicked her sharply in the ankle.

Just yards away, the creature continued to emit its frightening sniffing noise, padding slowly back and forth, getting closer and closer to where Katara and Kairo were hidden. Kairo had noticed it now, too, and his eyes suddenly narrowed. A crafty, though somewhat twisted, smile formed on his lips and he turned to face Katara, relying on the tree behind him to support his weight. He nodded towards the ground, signaling Katara to sit down. She obeyed and he followed.

Crouching on the leaf-strewn ground, he leaned close to Katara and said in a hoarse whisper that could have been the wind, "Okay, I get it now. Something's over there. But…" He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully, and then leaned even closer to her ear. "You can't beat it no matter how hard you fight. Sorry. But if you know where I'm going with this..."

Katara sucked in a sharp breath and quickly threw her hands over her own mouth. The creature halted in its pursuit for victims and the Waterbender felt her blood chill. But it started up again seconds later and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you remember correctly, I'm a Bender too," Kairo continued in a bitter whisper. "So if you were to –"

"NO!" Katara hissed, dreading where this was going.

"If you could just – for a minute!" Kairo cried indignantly, his frown deepening.

"NO!" Katara repeated defiantly. "I don't trust you!"

"Why not?" he asked, his voice rising dangerously. Katara made a desperate shushing noise and begged him to keep quiet, but for all the good it would do, she might as well have told the birds to stop chirping. "I've never done anything that would cause for you to not trust me. You just don't because you think people of the Fire Nation can't be trusted!" Katara remained silent; he was right.

The monster was closing in on their scent and it started slowly towards the place where they were hidden, taking its sweet time. Kairo glanced frantically over at it. "Please!" He was pleading in utter desperation now, begging her. "If you untie me, I _swear_ to the sun spirit Yul Gee that I will fight with you!"

Although terrified, Katara found herself impressed and even inspired by his words. For the second time in her life, she found herself believing him. But this time, instead of denying the inevitable, she was accepting it. He had even sworn to the sun spirit. Katara didn't know much about Fire Nation culture, but by the context in which Kairo had said it and from the role the moon and ocean spirits played in the Water Tribes, Katara could tell he wasn't lying.

She was on the verge of freeing her distressed prisoner when her worst fears were confirmed. A shrill, unearthly screech reverberated off the hollow tree trunks and suddenly, the tree nearest them was uprooted by a brutal head butt.

"Katara, please!" That did it. Katara didn't know why, but Kairo calling her by her name triggered something. While she had been calling him "you" even after she had learned his name, he called her by her real name when she hadn't even directly told him. He had picked it up without a formal introduction.

"Don't move!" she called, not wanting to accidentally hurt him again. He obeyed and Katara drew a long, silver water whip from her pouch, slashing the rope with it.

"Excellent," Kairo said softly, rubbing his chafed wrists. "It's good to se you finally trust me," he added facetiously to Katara. But he took a stance beside her all the same.

It was then that Katara realized that he was smiling. Not sneering like she usually saw him, but actually grinning. The effect made him look so much younger that it was a little unnerving. She also noticed he had quite a charming smile.

Remembering the danger at hand, Katara redirected her attention to the heavy snorting in front of her. Registering what the beast was, she didn't know whether to be shocked or petrified. The thing in front of her was enormous, frightening, and horribly dangerous. But the familiarity of the beast clouded out some of her fear.

Katara knew exactly what it was, having had a rather unfortunate run in with the same type of creature before. It was much taller than she was, standing on all fours with a built, slender body overgrown with a coat of thin, wiry hair and a back that arched like that of a cat. It most closely resembled a wolf, though with distinctly differing features. Its heavy, padded paws looked bone-breaking and bore long, hooked claws that could easily tear through flesh. It had a bony tail which was covered in the same matted, chestnut fur, some of which hung low below the actual tail with a light, feathery texture. A mud-colored stripe about as thick as Appa's arrow ran over the creature's back.

But the most unusual and distinguishing trait it possessed was on its face. Instead of two eyes, a large, rubbery, pink nose occupied most of its face, quirking and sniffing madly. The odd shape of the nose allowed it to have an almost perfect sense of smell, though Katara knew the tender, pink skin was incredibly sensitive, especially to strong smells.

She knew this creature all too well as she recalled the day Zuko had used one to track her down with the scent of her necklace. That awful woman who had ridden it had allowed Zuko to use it to get to Aang. And Katara clearly remembered the beast's most powerful weapon. Furled up inside its mouth, Katara knew, its long, razor-sharp tongue readied itself to lick its victims. The poison it carried in the pores of its tongue could paralyze and even kill if it struck the right area of the body. It was a shirshu.

After a moments worth of determined sniffing in which neither Bender moved, both to terrified to even breathe, the beast made up its mind about what to do and, with another high-pitched whine, it charged them.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

And that wraps up chapter five. Since exam week in arriving, I'll have hardly any time to write. However, once the summer starts, expect me to update much faster. I already have the entire sixth chapter written in my notebook and I just have to type it up and edit. Don't expect it to be fast, though. Also, there's a _very_ small chance that I will ever actually abandon this story, so if I haven't updated in awhile, it's only because I've been busy, not because I've dropped it.

I think it's worth pointing out that "Yul Gee" (the name of the sun spirit) means "heat" in Korean. I want to thank my best friend for translating for me. "Minori" means "beautiful harbor" in Japanese. Technically, the town's not a harbor, but I found it fitting since it was on a lake. Please review, I really, really want reviews! I know there are a lot of people reading this and even small reviews help.


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